LAHORE, Feb 19: A petition was filed on Saturday with the Lahore High Court seeking directions to shift double murder accused Raymond Davis from Kot Lakhpat Jail to Lahore Fort and ask Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to probe the matter.

Petitioner Advocate Ilamuddin Ghazi alleged Davis was in Pakistan on a special assignment that could be destructive for solidarity of the country. He said ISI should conduct investigation into both murder and illegal weapon cases registered against him by the police.

The petitioner said the accused was living under special care and spending his days of detention as a guest as his ‘residence’ in jail consisted of two barracks. The accused was also enjoying various facilities, including a mobile phone and TV. He said as the jail was far from the city it could help accused flee the prison.

He alleged the US wanted Davis’ early release fearing that he could reveal secrets of clandestine missions in Pakistan or about drone attacks. He said after his arrest, all drone attacks were stopped as he was providing assistance in this regard to the US forces. He alleged that America could even launch an operation for the release of the accused.

He said there were several instances when America took action against sovereignty of different countries. He alleged America managed assassination of ex-prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan. He said the US was also involved in getting former PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto hanged for trying to make Pakistan a nuclear power.

He said for its own benefit, the US could not only try to forcibly get him released but also it could kill him. He said for his protection, it was necessary to hand him over to the ISI so that no one could kidnap him.

VIENNA CONVENTION: LHC Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry will hear a constitutional petition on Monday (tomorrow), filed by Mohammad & Ahmad, a human rights and public interest litigation association, through counsel Mohammad Azhar Siddique challenging Diplomatic and Counselor Privileges Act, 1972, legal status, given to foreign diplomats in

Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 and Vienna Convention on Counselor Relations, 1963 by the federal government of Pakistan.

The gist of the arguments is that the above act is in conflict with fundamental rights as envisaged in the 1973 Constitution especially it infringes ‘life and liberty’ of the citizens of Pakistan and hence is void in term of Article 8.

A request has also been made to summon Shah Mahmood Qureshi, ex-foreign minister, and Ms Fauzia Wahab for making contradictory statements in the matter of immunity to accused Raymond Davis. The petitioner has made 11 respondents in his petition – Pakistan government, Interior Ministry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fauzia Wahab, Punjab government, IG, City chief police officer, Lytton Road police investigation officer and Davis through superintendent of Kot Lakhpat Jail. — Staff Reporter