JuD starts ‘Hate America’ campaign on Davis issue

ISLAMABAD - Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), the public face of banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), is gunning for the head of US diplomat Raymond Davis, accused of killing two Pakistanis, by starting a “Hate America” campaign in Pakistan.

Several banners have been put up along the streets of Lahore, capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province, where Davis is being kept in police custody, demanding death penalty for him. Some leaders are even demanding public hanging.

“Hang Raymond Davis because he has killed innocent Pakistanis,” read the banners with JuD slogans inscribed underneath.

Davis was arrested in Lahore Jan 27 on charges of killing two Pakistani nationals. He claimed he acted in self-defence, saying that the Pakistanis were trying to rob him at gunpoint.

Police have negated his claim in the report submitted in court and maintained that “self defence was not proven during investigation”.

The religious parties in the country have found this to be an ideal opportunity to further their agenda and pressurise the government.

Several protest rallies are being held across Pakistan almost every day and the JuD leadership has been at the forefront of this show of power.

Addressing one such rally in Lahore Tuesday, JuD leader Ameer Hamza alleged that the rulers are trying to wrap up the case against Davis and that they would not let any such “conspiracy” take place at any cost.

“The rulers go to the victims of every incident and announce compensation. Why are they reluctant to go to the houses of the boys killed by Davis,” he asked.

Hamza urged the public to demand public hanging of the accused Raymond Davis.

Hundreds of people attended the rally and chanted slogans against the government and the US. They were also holding banners and placards on which anti-America slogans were written.

The US administration has asked for granting diplomatic immunity to Davis, but the requests have so far been denied by the Pakistani government.

John Kerry, chairman of the US senate’s foreign relations committee, also visited Pakistan and discussed the issue with senior leaders but could not achieve the desired result.