LAHORE – Lawyers observed ‘black-day’ on Friday and denounced the acquittal and release of Raymond Davis, a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative and killer of two Pakistani citizens. Black flags were hoisted on bar premises and lawyers appeared in courts wearing black armbands. Speaking at a general-house meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA), the lawyers flayed politicians, army and secret agencies and accused them of playing a dirty role in the Raymond Davis case. The speakers included LHCBA President Asghar Ali Gill, Secretary Arshad Malik Awan, Anwar Ghumman, Salman Mansoor, Rana Manzoor Hussain, Ch Muhammad Khalid Mohal and Syed Nisar Safdar.
They said the government could not cheat on the people as media, civil society and lawyers were protecting national interests. The speakers claimed the laws of “Diyat and Qassas” could not be applied to the Raymond case. They said Raymond’s acquittal and release was an incident more regrettable than the suspension and detention of superior courts’ judges by Pervez Musharraf. The speakers alleged that the government had been favouring Raymond since the day of his arrest. They said firstly the government termed the victims robbers and then started claiming diplomatic immunity for the accused US citizen. The LHCBA secretary told the house that another meeting will be held on Tuesday to plan protest rallies. Staff Report
