Ignorance is Bliss

So we have an account of a foreign ‘contractor,’ unfortunately we have silence on our side. Who this silence serves, I don’t know, but it appears that the military is getting part of the blame.

Maybe the military is responsible, but since it cannot by law give its version, here are some questions before we pass judgement:

  1. Is Davis telling the truth and nothing but the truth? How would one know?
  2. Did Hussain Haqqani not issue visas directly to US citizens without due process circumventing the ISI on the orders of the President? Why does he feel he has been vindicated? Vindicated of what?
  3. Did Zardari not order that Davis be give diplomatic immunity due to which his own foreign minister resigned?
  4. Who were the people killed by Davis? Were they working for him? Was there an argument over the money they thought that was due to them?
  5. Was Davis given special/preferential treatment in jail, and was that not the Provincial Government’s responsibility?
  6. Were the accompanying policemen wearing arm bands identifying them as affiliates of a religious banned group? That they remained inside the court as well during the proceedings?
  7. Was there a real threat of Davis being lynched and that too while under the custody of the Government?
  8. Were the families of the deceased coerced by the Government to accept Diya and were they kept locked up or were they being protected from the threats of the religious extremists who had collected money and rewards and were forcing the families not to agree with the Diyya and that they would be compensated?
  9. Was Zahra, one of the widows not shot by the father in law because she had stated plans and intent to take the compensation and remarry, even before the Diyya was taken?
  10. Did the other widow Kanwal not take rat poison and commit suicide because she was being forced by the family to accept Diyya whereas she wanted blood for blood?
  11. How and why were two family members of each victim on the Cessna with Raymond when he left? Was their departure a part of the deal? Why did the family register that two family members each were missing and a FIR was lodged later?
  12. What happened to the two families that remained behind and took the Diyya, buying big houses and displaying them on TV? Did most die because of infighting and greed later?
  13. The ISI facilitated Davis from the courts to the airport under Government instructions or their own. Does one seriously think the DG-ISI needs to personally sit in a court room to monitor activities. Does he operate at this level?
  14. How does the military leadership get involved in this? Which part? The ISI is directed by the PM like it or not. Did the military hierarchy sit down and decide how Raymond was to be protected, rescued and sent out of the country? Why?
  15. If the ISI had not taken Davis under their custody after his release by the court, would he have survived a lynching which at the time was very imminent? Was he not under the provincial government’s care and protection? What was the federal Government doing? Has anyone ordered an enquiry? Who should?
  16. If Davis had been lynched, probably in public as is our habit, would that have been a good thing for Pakistan?
  17. Is it a credible claim for the US to say that they did not pay any Diyya when there are so many ways to pay it directly or indirectly?
  18. Is it legal to offer Diyya and compromise on a killing by our constitution and law? Has it not been done before? Was there any illegality in this? Why are people so incensed with this and silent on the Achakzai case and many others?

Lt. General Tariq Khan (Retired), an erudite general from Pakistan’s Armored Corps and a decorated War Veteran, is an expert on critical issues related to Terrorism & Insurgencies. General Tariq Khan during the Battle of Bajaur, transformed and re-shaped Frontier Corps into a relentless fighting force and raised FC’s own special forces popularly known as SOG. Commanded and led major operations in FATA from the frontline, his model on counter-insurgency is still applied to this day.

Lt. General Tariq Khan (Retired) leads CommandEleven’s Board of Advisors as our Patron-in-Chief.

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