Sunday, March 20, 2011

Court releases detailed judgment in Davis case

Raymond Davis, who shot and killed two Pakistani men, was released from Pakistan prison Wednesday, March 16, 2011 and left Pakistan after more than $2 million was paid to his victims' families, defusing a dispute that threatened an alliance vital to defeating al-Qaida and ending the Afghan war.

LAHORE: A court on Saturday released the detailed judgment in Raymond Davis case.

The text of the judgment states:

“The case is fixed for framing of charge as copies of all the documents stand delivered to the accused on 25.02.2011 and remaining copies of the documents at the request of the accused were delivered to him on 08.03.2011 both in English as well as Urdu.

“It has been argued by the learned defence counsel that honourable Lahore High Court has remanded the matter at the question of immunity of the accused being Foreign Diplomats to be decided by this court but no such order of the Honourable Lahore High court, Lahore, has been placed on the file through which the accused may have been allowed the immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of this court and on the other hand, Mr Abdul Samad, learned Additional Prosecutor General, has placed on the file a copy of written reply made by Federal Government to the Honourable Lahore High Court, Lahore on 14.03.2011.

“It showed that accused has not been declared immune from the criminal jurisdiction of this court by the Honourable Lahore High court, Lahore, or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad, and as such the trial against the accused as held earlier vide order dated 03.03.2011 is to commence.

“There is sufficient material on the file to proceed against the accused with the trial of the case u/s 302 PPC. He does not plead guilty but claim to be tried and charge against him u/s 302 PPC is accordingly separately framed.

“Two separate petitions have been made by the complainant Imran Haider while present in the court through his learned counsel Raja Muhammad Irshad Advocate Supreme Court assisted by Sardar Shabbir Hussain Advocate, at which the complainant has been summoned who is present in the court and he acknowledges both the petitions made for compromise and accordingly superintendent Jail Mr Mushtaq Ahmad is directed to summon the legal heirs of the deceased who were reported to be present outside the jail. Be put up after ten minutes.

“Legal heirs of the deceased Faizan Haider namely Mst. Parveen Akhtar, Zahara Shahzad, Imran Haider, Usman Haider, Salman Haider, Mst Nazia Bibi, Mst Asia, Mst Zil-e-Humma, Mst Shazia, Mst Saima have appeared and made statements that they have received their respective shares from amount of Badl-e-Sulah total amount of Rs Ten Crore on behalf of accused Raymond Allen Davis and they waive their right of Qisas against the accused and have no objection if the accused is acquitted of the charge. Their affidavits are Mark-A to Mark-K/2 respectively. They further stated that they have made the statements without influence, duress, coercion and pressure or any threat.

“Similarly, legal heirs of deceased Faheem Shamshad namely Shahshad Ali, Mst Haleema Begum, Muhammad Saleem Shamshad, Muhammad Waseem Shamshad, Muhammad Jamshed, Muhammad Akram Mst Nazia and Mst Mumtaz have also appeared with their affidavits Mark-A to Mark-H respectively and voluntarily have stated that they have received their respective shares from total amount under Badl-e-Sulah, Rs Ten Crore on behalf of accused Raymond Allen Davis and they waive their right of Qisas against the accused and have no objection if the accused is acquitted of the charge. Their affidavits are Mark-A to mark-H respectively. They further stated that they have made the statements without influence, duress, coercion and pressure of any threat.

“Accused Raymond Allen Davis was charge-sheeted u/s 302 PPC at the murders of Faizan Haider and Muhammad Faheem Shamshad and after framing of charge, legal heirs of both the deceased have put their appearance and got recorded their separate statements and stated by unequivocal terms that they have received amount of Badl-e-Sulah as per their shares and waive their right of Qisas and compounded the offence with the accused and have no objection if he is acquitted of the charge. They made their statements voluntarily, without duress or influence from any corner and each family of the deceased included the legal heirs have received an amount of rupees Ten Crore as Badl-e-Sulah much in excess to the amount of Diyat which hardly was rupees Twenty Nine Lac for each deceased. The court is satisfied that the legal heirs have made their statements voluntarily and without coercion.

“There is no evidence on the file u/s 311 PPC against the accused. Even the report u/s 173 Cr.P.C. is silent as to attract the provision of section 311 PPC regarding commission of Fasad-fil-Arz as the past conduct and previous conviction of the accused does not stand mentioned and even there is no mention in the report u/s 173 Cr.P.C. that the accused can be considered a potential danger to the community. There are some photographs of some sensitive places but the recovery of the same is not proved by any independent evidence.

“The offence u/s 302 PPC is compoundable as enshrined by the injunction of Islam and law of the land. As per compounding statements of the legal heirs of both the deceased having waived their right of Qisas and compounded the offence in lieu of payment of amount of Badl-e-Sulah of rupees Ten Crore by each family have no option but to accept the application made the complainant of the case who happened to be also one of the legal heirs of the deceased Faizan Haider and I acquit the accused of the charge against him u/s 302 PPC while proceeding u/s 345 Cr.P.C read with section 310 PPC, subject to depositing of amount of Diyat Rs. 395,375/- to be payable to the legal heirs of Mst Shumaila Faheem (since expired during pendency of the case). He is in jail, be released, if not required in any other case. File be consigned to the record room after completion.”Muhammad Yousaf Aujla Addl. Sessions Judge Camp at central Jail, Lahore.—APP

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