US killer diplomat’s case creates friction among Pakistani leaders

he case of American diplomat, who killed three Pakistanis, has created frictions among the leaders of Pakistan, both ruling and opposition parties, as to whether he shall be granted diplomatic immunity or not.

Raymond Davis gunned down two Pakistani motorcyclists in the busiest Mazang Chowk of eastern Lahore city and killed another innocent person after running his car over him while trying to flee.

Since the incident, a row has erupted between Pakistan and US over his release, leading to halting of all bilateral talks between the two states.

The US has been insisting that Davis is a diplomat and under Vienna Convention has right for diplomatic immunity.

However, the Pakistani foreign office had earlier stated that he holds business passport and is not liable to diplomatic immunity.

Some circles of print media citing official sources have been reporting that Davis is a spy.

The fist leader of Pakistan, who fell to the ‘Davis poison’ as has been described by the analysts, is former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmoud Qureshi.

Qureshi had refused to grant Davis diplomatic immunity, saying he does not hold diplomatic passport. While the government trimmed down the cabinet size last week, Qureshi was deprived of his ministry.

During his farewell address at the ministry later last week, he openly admitted that his ministry portfolio has been taken away from him for his refusal to grant Davis diplomatic immunity.

On Monday, Fauzia Wahab, ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Information Secretary, at a press conference tried to defend the case of Davis’ diplomatic immunity.

She did not say whether it has been proved that Davis is a diplomat or not but she insisted that, even, under the Pakistani law, a diplomat is liable to diplomatic immunity. “We shall at least follow our own law”, she said.

Reacting to her statement, Rana Sanaullah, the Law Minister of Punjab province, where the incident took place, said that Wahab’s statement will infuriate public sentiments.

Meanwhile, foreign office sources told KUNA that the US ambassador held a meeting with Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir on Monday and reiterated US’ demand for immediate and unconditional release of Davis. However, the Foreign Secretary told the US ambassador that the decision in this regard will be taken by the court.