Raymond Davis Fiasco/ Freedom and Unfreedom

A CIA contractor Raymond Davis, charged with murdering two Pakistani men, has been freed after the victims’ families pardoned him and accepted financial compensation under the Diyat law. It was not a surprising decision as many knew that the US was continuously urging Pakistani officials to release Davis on the grounds of having immunity from criminal prosecution given to all diplomats through the Vienna Convention.
As always, our political leaders bowed down before the US will. But what is new is the way it has been done, which has raised many questions in the public mind. How can a family that was pushing for justice suddenly decide to accept blood money? If that is the reality, then why did they not appear on the media? Why was the lawyer changed at the eleventh hour? It is understandable that because of security threats, Davis was sent through a secret flight, but why was the media not allowed to be present at the final verdict of the court? Astonishing is the fact that the plane was ready a night before the court’s decision; why and how?
The PML-N has been continuously criticising the PPP for being puppets in the hands of the US government, but then why did it react the same way when this case came to the courts?
What our politicians have failed to predict is the shift that is coming in our society. Gone are the days when people used to agree with their sharp fox tactics, thanks to the media, which has enlightened the minds of people today. Drama time is over.
For a highly mismanaged case, Pakistani authorities must now be ready to bear the brunt of the public reaction to the release of Davis.

Published in:

The News: http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=36831&Cat=11

Daily Times: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C03%5C18%5Cstory_18-3-2011_pg3_7

Catastrophe in Japan

Massive devastation was caused in Japan by an earthquake of 8.9 magnitude leading to ten-metre-high tsunami waves. It was reported to be the seventh-most powerful earthquake that has ever been recorded. The reason for this seismic activity was Japan’s location on the joints of four different earth plates – the Pacific plate and the Philippine plate to the east and the North American and the Eurasian plate to the east. Many meteorologists view this earthquake as a continuation of the 2010 Haiti earthquake (7.0 magnitude), the 2010 Chile earthquake (8.8 magnitude) and the earthquake that hit New Zealand recently which was 6.3 in magnitude.
For now, action is required on humanitarian grounds to help the affected people. At this time of great distress, we need to express solidarity with the Japanese people. My profound sympathies are with those who saw the tough tide of nature and lost their dear ones.

Published in:

The News: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-11-35859-Catastrophe-in-Japan