LAHORE – Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Punjab President Ahsan Rashid has announced to pay three times more ‘compensation money’ to the victims’ families than the US government may offer for Raymond Davis’ release. He was addressing the participants of a demonstration held against Davis on Friday outside the US Consulate at the Shimla Hill.
Ahsan said that Davis should be tried under terrorism charges for killing two Pakistanis instead of granting a diplomatic blanket. He said the deceased’s families were being ‘influenced’ but they were steadfast with the stance that Davis should be hanged in public at the same place where he killed two Pakistanis. He asked the government to take a firm stand against the US pressure and ‘save the national dignity otherwise the nation will not forgive them’.
PTI Lahore President Mahmood Rashid demanded of the US Consulate to hand over other Americans involved in the killing of a motorcyclist, Ibad-ur-Rehman. He said that the suicide of Fahim’s wife demanded of the nation to get justice for her. He pledged to continue the struggle in the way of getting justice. He expressed hope that the families will not compromise less than Raymond’s hanging.
Ijaz Chaudhry from PTI, while addressing the gathering, vowed that the nation will not comply if the government tries to give any concession to Davis. He said the nation will stand up against the ‘morally bankrupt rulers’ as it has become the matter of more than an ordinary murder. Scores of activists of the Insaf Students Federation (ISF) and PTI activists participated in the demonstration that was initially a protest rally against the murders.
The rally started from Mozang Chungi at 2:00 pm and passing through Shahra-e-Fatima Jinnah and Egerton Road, reached the Shimla Hill, where it converted into a public gathering. The protesters hanged the Davis’ effigy and burnt the US Flag. They chanted slogans against America, demanding the governments to provide justice. The deceased’s relatives also addressed the gathering and demanded Davis’ trial. PTI’s senior provincial leaders including Ahsan Rashid, Ijaz Chaudhry, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Sadia Sohail, Mian Hamid Mairaj, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokher, Dr Seemi Bokhari and others also addressed the rally.
Road carpeting, protests congest traffic: The traffic remained clogged in the main arteries of the city on Friday because the Canal Road was blocked for road carpeting while Islami Jamiat Talba (IJT) and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) had taken out rallies. Traffic was congested at the Jinnah Hospital and Shah Di Khoi Chowk owing to Canal Road carpeting, while The Mall, Davis Road and Jail Road was blocked owing to PTI and IJT protests against Raymond Davis.
Commuters complained there were no traffic wardens to guide them about the divergence. Ali Ahmad, a student of Institute of Business Administration Punjab University, was stressed at the clogged traffic at the Canal Road. He told Pakistan Today that he could not reach his class in time and a traffic warden advised him to go back home, as the warden was not being able to guide him and other commuters about the alternate route.
