THIS is apropos of the article 'Heavy cost of a shady deal' (March 21) by Syed Talat Hussain. I just want to discuss two points: one, about the role of the judiciary and, the other, display of extreme hypocrisy by the PML (N).

We all know that the PPP-led federal government was willing to release Mr Davis from day one and they only changed their stance once they saw the public emotion going the other way.

However, the PML (N) from day one was acting as if they were going to teach the US a lesson by not releasing Davis and would do everything to make sure that he gets a death penalty.

Why did the prosecution avoid charging Mr Davis under the Anti-Terrorism Act? Why did the public prosecutor keep his mouth zipped up when the judge was giving him 50 days' imprisonment on a charge of possessing illegal weapons?

I seriously believe that the PML (N) would never be able to answer these questions as they played a major role in striking a deal between the victims' heirs and Mr Davis. It also clearly depicts that all that the Shariff brothers utter and play with the public emotions is nothing but mere rhetoric.

As far as the judiciary is concerned, I have been saying this from day one that the lawyers' movement that started in 2007 for the independence of the judiciary was hijacked and became a political movement. WAQAS IQBAL Lahore