Pak jail loudspeakers muted as Davis ‘complained of disturbance by morning prayer call’

LAHORE - In a bizarre incident that shows special treatment being meted out to double-murder accused US diplomat Raymond Davis in Pakistani prison, the loudspeakers in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail were muted after he complained about the prayer call on Monday morning.

Davis lodged a protest with the jail authorities on “being disturbed by the morning prayer call,” The Nation reports.

“He started shouting in a quite savage manner in the wee hours when the Azaan was in progress and the prisoners were waking up for the prayers,” said a prisoner, who requested not to be named.

The inmate said that Davis started shouting: “Shut the louder or I will raise the matter with the (US) Consulate.”

“Surprisingly, jail officials shut the loudspeaker. It prompted the other prisoners to protest. In return, the officials switched the speaker back on,” he added.

An official of the Kot Lakhpat Jail said that Davis had started huffing and puffing on hearing the Friday prayer call on his first day in that jail.

“Seeing four prisoners offering Asr prayers in the corridor of their barrack, Davis started grumbling in a derogatory way,” he added.

Another jail officer claimed that the US official also abused Jail Superintendent Mian Mushtaq Awan, who was trying to pacify him.

Initially, Davis, who is facing murder charges, misbehaved with Awan’s subordinates when they woke him up for breakfast around 8am.

“You all are bloody bastards. How dare you wake me without my permission? Now get lost,” Davis swore at them.

The officer said that he had just woken Davis up to tell him that some senior officers, transferred from other jails for the special duty, had brought him breakfast, but he flew into a rage.

Then the senior officials themselves gave it a try, pleading humbly: “Davis Sahib, please take your breakfast”.

But, instead of cooling down, Davis shouted in reply: “You uncivilised fools don’t even make good servants. Is this the method to serve?”

On being informed, Jail Superintendent Awan arrived within no time and tried his best to placate Davis, who abused him also, saying: “I am saying you should go now, bastard.”

The officer said that though the senior officers could understand what Davis was saying, they asked Awan, who tried to downplay it, saying: “Davis was using meaningless slang.”

The other prisoners, who continue to face acute shortage of basic necessities in the Kot Lakhpat Jail, say that they see the imprisoned US official’ behaviour as highly intolerable. (ANI)