Davis’ lawyer flees Pakistan amid life threats

LAHORE – Raymond Davis’ lawyer Syed Zahid Hussain Bokhari has moved to the US amid life threats after his client’s release, while his daughter and Punjab Assembly legislator from PPP, Azma Bokhari, is constantly being harassed.
PPP deputy parliamentary leader Shaukat Basra told reporters on Tuesday that Azma and her family was receiving life threats constantly, due to which her father Zahid Bokhari had left the country. Basra said Azma was receiving threats from unidentified people on one hand, while on the other, Rana Sanaullah had told her that not only will she have to face the threats, but she also had to be prepared for adverse steps like her inclusion in FIRs.
He said PPP members had filed a complain with the PA speaker to take prompt action against the provincial law minister who allegedly threatened PPP legislators of severe consequences on raising the issue of Punjab government’s involvement in Davis’ release. However, he claimed that soon “Raymond Leaks”, just like WikiLeaks, would appear before the masses and expose Punjab CM and law minister’s links with Davis’ release.
He said that Sanaullah was trying to silence all voices against his involvement in Raymond-Raiwind deals, but the PPP would foil all such attempts. During Tuesday’s session, opposition members, especially the PPP, targeted the Punjab chief minister over the issue of Raymond Davis’ release.
But after the treasury shouted slogans against the “lawyer of the US national who was father of PPP MPA Azma Bokhari”, the opposition became defensive and requested the chair to urge treasury members to avoid such slogans. Then, PPP members gathered in front of the speaker’s rostrum and asked the chair to take prompt action against the provincial law minister who allegedly threatened them of severe consequences if they raised the Davis’ release issue.
Azma Bokhari said she could not say anything over Shaukat Basra’s statement as she had no information about it. She said that she had observed on some TV channels that the statement was being attributed to her.