By Rajat Kumar
Ijaz Chaudhry, the Lahore High Court Chief Justice has asked the police to take action against the driver of a speeding US consulate vehicle, who killed a motorcyclist while rushing to help American official Raymond Davis, who was arrested after he shot two men in Lahore.
Chaudhry also directed the police to take the vehicle from the US Embassy into their possession for investigation. On Friday, the judge issued the orders in response to a petition filed by Muhammad Ijaz-ur-Rehman, the brother of Obaid-ur-Rehman, the motorcyclist who was killed by the consulate vehicle.
Raymond Davis was arrested on January 27 after he fatally shot two armed men he said were trying to rob him at Mozang in the city of Lahore. Obaid-ur-Rehman died in the same area when he was hit by a vehicle that was carrying US consulate employees responding to Davis’ call for help. Ijaz-ur-Rehman has appealed to the court to issue an order to police for the immediate arrest of the driver of the vehicle. The Chief Justice called up an Assistant Advocate General of Punjab province and asked him to ensure that the order of the court is followed.
The Chief Justice concluded, “It is the police’s duty to investigate the case in a fair and impartial manner and to bring on record and consider evidence which they wish to rely on. The investigation is directed to record the statements of (Ijaz-ur-Rehman) and eyewitnesses, provided that the investigation of the case has not so far been completed, and proceed with the matter in accordance with the law.”
Ijaz-ur-Rehman had registered a case at Lytton Road police station, accusing the driver of the US consulate vehicle of murder. The US consulate in Lahore and the Embassy in Islamabad are yet to identify the officials who were in the vehicle at the time when it killed Obaid-ur-Rehman.
Police have also rejected Davis’ claim that he acted in self-defense and have charged him with murder in a ‘challan’ filed in court. The Pakistan government, well-aware of a backlash due to growing anti-American sentiment in the nation, has rejected US demands to free Davis and has said that his case will be decided by the country’s courts.
