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Kicked out is what I heard.
Raymond Davis saga in Pakistan
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This is what I have posted on the other thread. It has nothing to do with Principles.
SM Qureshi is an army man in PPP govt. as the foreign policy is in the domain of Pak Army. The grapevine is abuzz that the removal of SMQ is due to a letter written to UN objecting the observations made by UN on Benazir Bhutto's murder. In the letter to UN, which had no approval of PPP but written at the behest of PA, SMQ objected the linking of PA and Taliban nexus to the BB's murder. This didn't go down well with PPP party and PPP president and husband of BB Zaradari. The Cabinet dissolution gave that opputunity to the PPP core group to boot SMQ out. Now SMQ will try to play martyr saying that he was booted out because he was against the release of Raymond Davis.
Here is that letter
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Why Pak shouldn't succumb to US arrogance
The imperial arrogance of a superpower is increasing daily for a weak democracy in Pakistan, but it is still counterproductive, feels noted Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir.
Pakistan is challenging the arrogant attitude of the United States for a second time in less than six months.
Pakistan stopped NATO supply line in October last year after US helicopters killed some Pakistani troops in its tribal areas. This supply line was resumed only after an official apology came from a former US ambassador in Pakistan.
This time the US is not ready to apologise or respect the Pakistani law, but is trying to prove that Pakistan is the most bullied ally of US.
The US postponed a scheduled high-level trilateral meeting with Pakistan which was aimed at discussing the situation in Afghanistan.
The US wrongly assumed that postponing a diplomatic meeting would be enough for putting more pressure on Islamabad to release its shady secret agent Raymond Davis, who was arrested on January 27 for killing two Pakistani citizens in Lahore.
This imperial arrogance never worked and Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir responded on Saturday that 'if I commit an immoral act, I won't seek immunity.'
As another pressure-move, the US officials have now conveyed to Pakistan that if Raymond Davis is released in the coming few days, President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to US next month could also be postponed.
Highly reliable sources in the Pakistani foreign office claimed that not the US state department, but the White House itself is directly dealing with the Raymond Davis case under Central Intelligence Agency pressure.
It is now clear that Raymond Davis was working for the CIA, because interestingly, the intelligence agency has stopped the drone attacks in the Pakistani tribal areas after his arrest.
It is also learnt that Pakistani officials in Washington, DC are getting threatening messages directly from White House. Pakistan embassy in Washington has conveyed to the president and prime minister in Islamabad last week that US could postpone the visit of Zardari to Washington and some US Congressmen are also planning to start a move for disrupting the US aid to Pakistan.
Despite all these 'threatening messages' top government officials in Islamabad once again made it clear on Sunday that only the Pakistani courts will decide the fate of Raymond Davis.
A powerful federal minister very close to President Zardari said, "We are not in a position to oblige the US because this matter is now subjudice as the Lahore high court included the name of Raymond Davis in exit control list."
"How can we go against the court orders? If we will do anything in violation of the court orders, then the court will summon us for contempt, and we are sure that the people of Pakistan will come out on the roads against us and our fate will be worst than Hosni Mubarak (recently ousted president of Egypt)."
When asked that if there is unanimity in all the government institutions on Raymond Davis case, then why Shah Mahmood Qureshi was not given the ministry of foreign affairs in the new cabinet, the minister had no satisfactory answer and accepted that the Qureshi affair have created many questions and 'only Prime Minister Gilani can answer these questions.'
But he also said, "Let me tell you clearly, the president, PM, the army chief and the Punjab government are now on one wave length on the Raymond Davis issue that only courts will decide his fate."
"We will not accept any US pressure, we are ready to face US sanctions because we know that new elections are very close and a small mistake on this issue will destroy the political future of the Pakistan People's Party," he added.
Despite all these 'off the record claims' no Pakistani minister is ready to say anything against US publicly.
Even Shah Mahmood Qureshi is making big claims only after he was not given the foreign ministry. It is learnt that majority of the new cabinet members have advised PM not to accept the US pressure.
Initially Zardari asked PM to find out some way to come out of the mounting US pressure, but it was Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir who clearly wrote in one of his notes to PM that 'Raymond Davis is not a diplomat and we cannot compromise our national security by accepting US pressure on this issue. Let the courts decide the case, we should not provide immunity to a killer.'
Foreign office sources said that arrogant attitude of US on Raymond Davis case also exposed the seriousness of US for its war against terror and strategic dialogue with Pakistan.
US is ready to forget everything Pakistan did in the past just for a person who killed two Pakistanis in the name of so-called 'self defense.'
The family of the third person is also planning to take some legal action against top police officials who have still not arrested the associates of Raymond Davis who killed a motorcyclist -- Abadur Rehman -- in their attempt to rescue him.
Punjab police officials claimed that they are in contact with the US consulate in Lahore for the arrest of Raymond's driver who killed the motorcyclist.
It is also important that the diplomatic community in Islamabad is not supporting the US position on Raymond Davis case. Many European diplomats exchanged views on this issue with this scribe and said that diplomats do not move and act like Raymond Davis moved and acted in Lahore. Diplomats are not entitled to carry illegal weapons with them.
One diplomat reminded me my questions to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an interview in 2009 in which I asked her that why US officials were moving in Pakistan with illegal weapons in their hands and when Pakistani police arrest them why you put pressure on our government to release them.
Hillary never had a satisfactory answer and promised that she will get the details and will make it sure that it does not happen again.
But this promise was not fulfilled. US secret agents expanded their activities from Islamabad to Peshawar and from Lahore to Karachi under the nose of the PPP-led government.
One European diplomat said that US have forgotten all its responsibilities as a major international player just for Raymond Davis.
Another diplomat said that tomorrow Raymond Davis-type secret agents may kill more people in other capitals of the world and then US will say that killers have the diplomatic immunity.
He said that Pakistan should not accept the US pressure because it will create more problems for diplomats all over the world.
An Arab diplomat said that "we condemn Taliban and Al Qaeda because they break law of the land, we hunt them, we punish them, but why can't we arrest and punish a US citizen if he killed someone? What is the difference between Taliban and US secret agents? Both violate our laws, both kill innocents".
Source
The imperial arrogance of a superpower is increasing daily for a weak democracy in Pakistan, but it is still counterproductive, feels noted Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir.
Pakistan is challenging the arrogant attitude of the United States for a second time in less than six months.
Pakistan stopped NATO supply line in October last year after US helicopters killed some Pakistani troops in its tribal areas. This supply line was resumed only after an official apology came from a former US ambassador in Pakistan.
This time the US is not ready to apologise or respect the Pakistani law, but is trying to prove that Pakistan is the most bullied ally of US.
The US postponed a scheduled high-level trilateral meeting with Pakistan which was aimed at discussing the situation in Afghanistan.
The US wrongly assumed that postponing a diplomatic meeting would be enough for putting more pressure on Islamabad to release its shady secret agent Raymond Davis, who was arrested on January 27 for killing two Pakistani citizens in Lahore.
This imperial arrogance never worked and Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir responded on Saturday that 'if I commit an immoral act, I won't seek immunity.'
As another pressure-move, the US officials have now conveyed to Pakistan that if Raymond Davis is released in the coming few days, President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to US next month could also be postponed.
Highly reliable sources in the Pakistani foreign office claimed that not the US state department, but the White House itself is directly dealing with the Raymond Davis case under Central Intelligence Agency pressure.
It is now clear that Raymond Davis was working for the CIA, because interestingly, the intelligence agency has stopped the drone attacks in the Pakistani tribal areas after his arrest.
It is also learnt that Pakistani officials in Washington, DC are getting threatening messages directly from White House. Pakistan embassy in Washington has conveyed to the president and prime minister in Islamabad last week that US could postpone the visit of Zardari to Washington and some US Congressmen are also planning to start a move for disrupting the US aid to Pakistan.
Despite all these 'threatening messages' top government officials in Islamabad once again made it clear on Sunday that only the Pakistani courts will decide the fate of Raymond Davis.
A powerful federal minister very close to President Zardari said, "We are not in a position to oblige the US because this matter is now subjudice as the Lahore high court included the name of Raymond Davis in exit control list."
"How can we go against the court orders? If we will do anything in violation of the court orders, then the court will summon us for contempt, and we are sure that the people of Pakistan will come out on the roads against us and our fate will be worst than Hosni Mubarak (recently ousted president of Egypt)."
When asked that if there is unanimity in all the government institutions on Raymond Davis case, then why Shah Mahmood Qureshi was not given the ministry of foreign affairs in the new cabinet, the minister had no satisfactory answer and accepted that the Qureshi affair have created many questions and 'only Prime Minister Gilani can answer these questions.'
But he also said, "Let me tell you clearly, the president, PM, the army chief and the Punjab government are now on one wave length on the Raymond Davis issue that only courts will decide his fate."
"We will not accept any US pressure, we are ready to face US sanctions because we know that new elections are very close and a small mistake on this issue will destroy the political future of the Pakistan People's Party," he added.
Despite all these 'off the record claims' no Pakistani minister is ready to say anything against US publicly.
Even Shah Mahmood Qureshi is making big claims only after he was not given the foreign ministry. It is learnt that majority of the new cabinet members have advised PM not to accept the US pressure.
Initially Zardari asked PM to find out some way to come out of the mounting US pressure, but it was Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir who clearly wrote in one of his notes to PM that 'Raymond Davis is not a diplomat and we cannot compromise our national security by accepting US pressure on this issue. Let the courts decide the case, we should not provide immunity to a killer.'
Foreign office sources said that arrogant attitude of US on Raymond Davis case also exposed the seriousness of US for its war against terror and strategic dialogue with Pakistan.
US is ready to forget everything Pakistan did in the past just for a person who killed two Pakistanis in the name of so-called 'self defense.'
The family of the third person is also planning to take some legal action against top police officials who have still not arrested the associates of Raymond Davis who killed a motorcyclist -- Abadur Rehman -- in their attempt to rescue him.
Punjab police officials claimed that they are in contact with the US consulate in Lahore for the arrest of Raymond's driver who killed the motorcyclist.
It is also important that the diplomatic community in Islamabad is not supporting the US position on Raymond Davis case. Many European diplomats exchanged views on this issue with this scribe and said that diplomats do not move and act like Raymond Davis moved and acted in Lahore. Diplomats are not entitled to carry illegal weapons with them.
One diplomat reminded me my questions to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an interview in 2009 in which I asked her that why US officials were moving in Pakistan with illegal weapons in their hands and when Pakistani police arrest them why you put pressure on our government to release them.
Hillary never had a satisfactory answer and promised that she will get the details and will make it sure that it does not happen again.
But this promise was not fulfilled. US secret agents expanded their activities from Islamabad to Peshawar and from Lahore to Karachi under the nose of the PPP-led government.
One European diplomat said that US have forgotten all its responsibilities as a major international player just for Raymond Davis.
Another diplomat said that tomorrow Raymond Davis-type secret agents may kill more people in other capitals of the world and then US will say that killers have the diplomatic immunity.
He said that Pakistan should not accept the US pressure because it will create more problems for diplomats all over the world.
An Arab diplomat said that "we condemn Taliban and Al Qaeda because they break law of the land, we hunt them, we punish them, but why can't we arrest and punish a US citizen if he killed someone? What is the difference between Taliban and US secret agents? Both violate our laws, both kill innocents".
Source
Last edited:
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Qureshi has 'no future' in PPP, says party leader
ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan People's Party has stepped up its tirade against former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for stating that a US official jailed for killing two men has no diplomatic immunity, with a senior leader saying he has "no future" in the party.
Qureshi has "no future" in the PPP and "serious disciplinary action will be taken against him for violating party discipline and humiliating its leadership", PPP spokesperson Fauzia Wahab told the Dawn newspaper.
Wahab said Qureshi had "ditched the party leadership and it was not the first time he had done so".
She said Qureshi's role as foreign minister over the past three years was questionable and that he did not support President Asif Zardari when he faced criticism in the media over his foreign trips.
Despite all of Qureshi's "past acts, the party leadership had decided to include him in the new cabinet" but Qureshi created a crisis just 25 minutes before the oath-taking ceremony at the Presidency on Friday, she said.
It is the PPP leadership's job to assign a responsibility to a party member but Qureshi was not ready to accept a change in his portfolio, she said.
Several senior PPP leaders, including party secretary general Raja Parvez Ashraf and information minister Firdous Ashiq Awan on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Qureshi, who skipped the swearing-in ceremony for Pakistan's new cabinet last week after he learnt he would not be reallocated the foreign affairs portfolio.
Asked whether Qureshi had differences with the party on the issue of arrested US official Raymond Davis, Wahab said, "If he had a problem over the issue he should have resigned earlier."
Ashraf compared Qureshi to late PPP leader Farooq Leghari, who had during his tenure as President sacked the government of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto in 1996.
He also accused Qureshi of joining the "band wagon of political actors hatching conspiracies against the party leadership".
Information minister Awan, considered close to PPP chief Zardari's camp, said Qureshi had not expressed his concerns when he was foreign minister and his remarks about Raymond Davis were "not in favour of the country".
Awan also sought to question why Qureshi had expressed his differences with the government after a court had issued an arrest warrant for former President Pervez Musharraf in connection with Benazir Bhutto's assassination.
Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar has confirmed to the media that Qureshi met Zardari on Friday night but he refused to divulge details of the meeting.
Babar described it as a routine meeting of a former minister with the President and expressed ignorance about statements by other PPP leaders against Qureshi.
Source
ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan People's Party has stepped up its tirade against former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for stating that a US official jailed for killing two men has no diplomatic immunity, with a senior leader saying he has "no future" in the party.
Qureshi has "no future" in the PPP and "serious disciplinary action will be taken against him for violating party discipline and humiliating its leadership", PPP spokesperson Fauzia Wahab told the Dawn newspaper.
Wahab said Qureshi had "ditched the party leadership and it was not the first time he had done so".
She said Qureshi's role as foreign minister over the past three years was questionable and that he did not support President Asif Zardari when he faced criticism in the media over his foreign trips.
Despite all of Qureshi's "past acts, the party leadership had decided to include him in the new cabinet" but Qureshi created a crisis just 25 minutes before the oath-taking ceremony at the Presidency on Friday, she said.
It is the PPP leadership's job to assign a responsibility to a party member but Qureshi was not ready to accept a change in his portfolio, she said.
Several senior PPP leaders, including party secretary general Raja Parvez Ashraf and information minister Firdous Ashiq Awan on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Qureshi, who skipped the swearing-in ceremony for Pakistan's new cabinet last week after he learnt he would not be reallocated the foreign affairs portfolio.
Asked whether Qureshi had differences with the party on the issue of arrested US official Raymond Davis, Wahab said, "If he had a problem over the issue he should have resigned earlier."
Ashraf compared Qureshi to late PPP leader Farooq Leghari, who had during his tenure as President sacked the government of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto in 1996.
He also accused Qureshi of joining the "band wagon of political actors hatching conspiracies against the party leadership".
Information minister Awan, considered close to PPP chief Zardari's camp, said Qureshi had not expressed his concerns when he was foreign minister and his remarks about Raymond Davis were "not in favour of the country".
Awan also sought to question why Qureshi had expressed his differences with the government after a court had issued an arrest warrant for former President Pervez Musharraf in connection with Benazir Bhutto's assassination.
Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar has confirmed to the media that Qureshi met Zardari on Friday night but he refused to divulge details of the meeting.
Babar described it as a routine meeting of a former minister with the President and expressed ignorance about statements by other PPP leaders against Qureshi.
Source
SHASH2K2
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Thanks Nitesh for the news . Dont know how true but this is what reported by pakistani medis.
Davis flies into fury on prayer call
LAHORE – The inmates facing murder charges invariably display quite caution. American killer Raymond Davis, however, is a different species. Undeterred by the implications of his case, he lives in the jail the way he wants to.
Davis doesn't like to be disturbed in any manner whatsoever. Even Azaan, the prayer call, comes as a source of disturbance for him. And distressing is the disclosure that the loudspeakers in the jail were muted when Davis complained about the prayer call Monday morning.
Davis lodged a protest with the jail authorities on "being disturbed by the morning prayer call".
"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 requesting 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," said the inmate.
An official of the Kot Lakhpat Jail, pseudonym Bholi Shah, said Davis had started huffing and puffing on hearing the Friday prayer call on his first day in jail.
"Seeing four prisoners offering Asr prayers in the corridor of their barrack, Davis started grumbling in a derogatory way," said Shah.
Davis flies into fury on prayer call
LAHORE – The inmates facing murder charges invariably display quite caution. American killer Raymond Davis, however, is a different species. Undeterred by the implications of his case, he lives in the jail the way he wants to.
Davis doesn't like to be disturbed in any manner whatsoever. Even Azaan, the prayer call, comes as a source of disturbance for him. And distressing is the disclosure that the loudspeakers in the jail were muted when Davis complained about the prayer call Monday morning.
Davis lodged a protest with the jail authorities on "being disturbed by the morning prayer call".
"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 requesting 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," said the inmate.
An official of the Kot Lakhpat Jail, pseudonym Bholi Shah, said Davis had started huffing and puffing on hearing the Friday prayer call on his first day in jail.
"Seeing four prisoners offering Asr prayers in the corridor of their barrack, Davis started grumbling in a derogatory way," said Shah.
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SHASH2K2
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Govt bows low to US frowns
KARACHI – "Raymond Davis (the American who shot dead two Pakistanis) enjoys diplomatic immunity and has an official visa," said PPP Information Secretary Fauzia Wahab in the first overt vindication of the popular belief that the PPP-led government would hardly hold its ground in face of American pressure on the issue.
The statement is in stark contrast to former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's earlier disclosure that "Davis isn't a diplomat according to the Foreign Office record". Dropping Qureshi from the slimline cabinet as foreign minister itself was indicative of the posture government has now taken openly.
Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, PPP Fauzia Wahab said that Pakistan is the signatory of Vienna Convention, therefore, all the diplomats enjoy immunity, adding that diplomats cannot be arrested under this convention. She said that Davis possess diplomatic passport, therefore, he enjoyed immunity and had an official visa.
"We have always abided by international laws and conventions," Fauzia said. "Davis has an official business visa, so why argue and why we are risking our overall good reputation before the rest of the world?"
The US State Department on Saturday postponed a round of high-level talks with Afghanistan and Pakistan following failed attempts to get Pakistan to release Davis. US lawmakers have threatened to cut payments to Pakistan, the beneficiary of $7.5 billion dollars of aid and $2 billion in military aid, and Washington has warned that high-level dialogue is at risk unless Davis is freed.
"America is the largest market for Pakistan, with whom we earn four billion dollars. Most Pakistanis who live in the United States send bulk of remittances to us to support our economy," said Fauzia.
Hundreds of Pakistanis have taken to the streets demanding that Davis be hanged over the killings. A third Pakistani man was run over and killed by a US consulate vehicle that made a failed attempt to recover Davis.
Davis was arrested Jan 27 in Lahore after he shot dead two men on a motorcycle.
Lahore police decided to charge him under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code that deals with 'murder by design'. The question of his diplomatic immunity had not been entertained by the provincial and federal governments openly until Fauzia's statement.
KARACHI – "Raymond Davis (the American who shot dead two Pakistanis) enjoys diplomatic immunity and has an official visa," said PPP Information Secretary Fauzia Wahab in the first overt vindication of the popular belief that the PPP-led government would hardly hold its ground in face of American pressure on the issue.
The statement is in stark contrast to former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's earlier disclosure that "Davis isn't a diplomat according to the Foreign Office record". Dropping Qureshi from the slimline cabinet as foreign minister itself was indicative of the posture government has now taken openly.
Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, PPP Fauzia Wahab said that Pakistan is the signatory of Vienna Convention, therefore, all the diplomats enjoy immunity, adding that diplomats cannot be arrested under this convention. She said that Davis possess diplomatic passport, therefore, he enjoyed immunity and had an official visa.
"We have always abided by international laws and conventions," Fauzia said. "Davis has an official business visa, so why argue and why we are risking our overall good reputation before the rest of the world?"
The US State Department on Saturday postponed a round of high-level talks with Afghanistan and Pakistan following failed attempts to get Pakistan to release Davis. US lawmakers have threatened to cut payments to Pakistan, the beneficiary of $7.5 billion dollars of aid and $2 billion in military aid, and Washington has warned that high-level dialogue is at risk unless Davis is freed.
"America is the largest market for Pakistan, with whom we earn four billion dollars. Most Pakistanis who live in the United States send bulk of remittances to us to support our economy," said Fauzia.
Hundreds of Pakistanis have taken to the streets demanding that Davis be hanged over the killings. A third Pakistani man was run over and killed by a US consulate vehicle that made a failed attempt to recover Davis.
Davis was arrested Jan 27 in Lahore after he shot dead two men on a motorcycle.
Lahore police decided to charge him under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code that deals with 'murder by design'. The question of his diplomatic immunity had not been entertained by the provincial and federal governments openly until Fauzia's statement.
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lmao the scared paki jailers
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Now Obama asks Pak to release Raymond Davis
Amid deepening diplomatic stand-off, United States President Barack Obama on Tuesday asked Pakistan to follow the Vienna Convention and release American diplomat Raymond Davis, who is facing trial on murder charges.
"With respect to Mr Davis, our diplomat in Pakistan, we've got a very simple principle here that every country in the world that is party to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations has upheld in the past and should uphold in the future," Obama told mediapersons at a news conference.
"If our diplomats are in another country, then they are not subject to that country's local prosecution. We respect it with respect to diplomats who are here. We expect Pakistan, that's a signatory and recognise Mr Davis as a diplomat, to abide by the same convention," Obama said in response to a question.
Obama, however, refrained from giving details of administration's specific conversation with the Pakistani government but said he is very firm about this.
36-year-old Davis was arrested in Lahore on January 27 after he shot down in a market two Pakistani men, who he said were trying to rob him.
The US has been demanding immediate release of Davis arguing that he enjoys diplomatic immunity, which has been denied by Pakistan.
"The reason this is an important principle as if it starts being fair game on our ambassadors around the world, including in dangerous places where we may have differences with those governments, and our ambassadors or our various embassy personnel are having to deliver tough messages to countries where we disagree with them on X, Y, Z, and they start being vulnerable to prosecution locally, that's untenable. It means they can't do their job," Obama said when asked why US is pushing too much on Pakistan which has a weak government right now.
"We respect these conventions and every country should as well. So we're going to be continuing to work with the Pakistani government to get this person released," he said.
Noting that "a couple of Pakistanis were killed in a incident between Davis in Pakistan" Obama said: "Obviously, we're concerned about the loss of life. We're not callous about that. But there's a broader principle at stake that I think we have to uphold."
Obama's firm message on Pakistan came a day after he dispatched Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to talk with the Pakistani leadership on the issue and overall relationship in recent weeks, which has strained after Islamabad refused to release Davis.
The United Sates over the weekend announced to postpone the tri-lateral meeting involving Pakistan scheduled later this month. The US is now going ahead with its meeting with Afghanistan from February 23 to 25.
Source
Amid deepening diplomatic stand-off, United States President Barack Obama on Tuesday asked Pakistan to follow the Vienna Convention and release American diplomat Raymond Davis, who is facing trial on murder charges.
"With respect to Mr Davis, our diplomat in Pakistan, we've got a very simple principle here that every country in the world that is party to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations has upheld in the past and should uphold in the future," Obama told mediapersons at a news conference.
"If our diplomats are in another country, then they are not subject to that country's local prosecution. We respect it with respect to diplomats who are here. We expect Pakistan, that's a signatory and recognise Mr Davis as a diplomat, to abide by the same convention," Obama said in response to a question.
Obama, however, refrained from giving details of administration's specific conversation with the Pakistani government but said he is very firm about this.
36-year-old Davis was arrested in Lahore on January 27 after he shot down in a market two Pakistani men, who he said were trying to rob him.
The US has been demanding immediate release of Davis arguing that he enjoys diplomatic immunity, which has been denied by Pakistan.
"The reason this is an important principle as if it starts being fair game on our ambassadors around the world, including in dangerous places where we may have differences with those governments, and our ambassadors or our various embassy personnel are having to deliver tough messages to countries where we disagree with them on X, Y, Z, and they start being vulnerable to prosecution locally, that's untenable. It means they can't do their job," Obama said when asked why US is pushing too much on Pakistan which has a weak government right now.
"We respect these conventions and every country should as well. So we're going to be continuing to work with the Pakistani government to get this person released," he said.
Noting that "a couple of Pakistanis were killed in a incident between Davis in Pakistan" Obama said: "Obviously, we're concerned about the loss of life. We're not callous about that. But there's a broader principle at stake that I think we have to uphold."
Obama's firm message on Pakistan came a day after he dispatched Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to talk with the Pakistani leadership on the issue and overall relationship in recent weeks, which has strained after Islamabad refused to release Davis.
The United Sates over the weekend announced to postpone the tri-lateral meeting involving Pakistan scheduled later this month. The US is now going ahead with its meeting with Afghanistan from February 23 to 25.
Source
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Pak all set to let Davis off the hook
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will tell a court that most of its legal experts believe that detained American has diplomatic immunity, but will leave it to a judge to rule on his status, an official said on Tuesday — a sign that Islamabad is trying to give the US an opening to free the man while avoiding domestic backlash.
Raymond Allen Davis has been held by Pakistani authorities since he fatally shot two Pakistanis in the eastern city of Lahore on Jan 27, and his case has become a bitter point of contention between Washington and Islamabad, two countries whose relationship is considered key to ending the war in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, rejecting Raymond Davis' claim that he shot two men in self-defence, the prosecution filed a 'challan' (chargesheet) in the court of a district and sessions judge, formally charging him with murder of two Pakistanis in Lahore.
Officials told the media that the chargesheet was based on forensic reports, the statement of Davis and the investigation conducted by police. The US says Davis, a former special forces soldier and an embassy worker, shot two robbers in self-defence and that his detention is illegal under international agreements covering diplomats.
US officials have threatened to withhold billions of dollars in aid to Pakistan to get Davis freed. US Sen John Kerry was expected to arrive in Pakistan later Tuesday to discuss the case with senior Pakistani officials, the US embassy confirmed. Police say their investigation found Davis committed a "cold-blooded murder'' and that that's the charge they'll pursue in court. It hasn't helped that the government of Punjab province, where any trial would be held, is run by a party that is a rival to the one running the federal government.
Source
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will tell a court that most of its legal experts believe that detained American has diplomatic immunity, but will leave it to a judge to rule on his status, an official said on Tuesday — a sign that Islamabad is trying to give the US an opening to free the man while avoiding domestic backlash.
Raymond Allen Davis has been held by Pakistani authorities since he fatally shot two Pakistanis in the eastern city of Lahore on Jan 27, and his case has become a bitter point of contention between Washington and Islamabad, two countries whose relationship is considered key to ending the war in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, rejecting Raymond Davis' claim that he shot two men in self-defence, the prosecution filed a 'challan' (chargesheet) in the court of a district and sessions judge, formally charging him with murder of two Pakistanis in Lahore.
Officials told the media that the chargesheet was based on forensic reports, the statement of Davis and the investigation conducted by police. The US says Davis, a former special forces soldier and an embassy worker, shot two robbers in self-defence and that his detention is illegal under international agreements covering diplomats.
US officials have threatened to withhold billions of dollars in aid to Pakistan to get Davis freed. US Sen John Kerry was expected to arrive in Pakistan later Tuesday to discuss the case with senior Pakistani officials, the US embassy confirmed. Police say their investigation found Davis committed a "cold-blooded murder'' and that that's the charge they'll pursue in court. It hasn't helped that the government of Punjab province, where any trial would be held, is run by a party that is a rival to the one running the federal government.
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US prisoner Davis has immunity, says Pakistan
Pakistan will tell a local court that a US consulate employee jailed after killing two Pakistanis has diplomatic immunity, a top Pakistani official said, a move that will help defuse a diplomatic crisis with Washington. "We will present all relevant laws and rules about immunity before the court and will plead that prima facie it is a case of diplomatic immunity. But it is for the court to decide," the senior government official told Reuters on Wednesday.
Finally ! A gaye aukat pe .
Pakistan will tell a local court that a US consulate employee jailed after killing two Pakistanis has diplomatic immunity, a top Pakistani official said, a move that will help defuse a diplomatic crisis with Washington. "We will present all relevant laws and rules about immunity before the court and will plead that prima facie it is a case of diplomatic immunity. But it is for the court to decide," the senior government official told Reuters on Wednesday.
Finally ! A gaye aukat pe .
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Pakistan likely to repatriate US diplomat Davis: Report
After weeks of tense standoff, the United States and Pakistan may be nearing an arrangement to repatriate US official Raymond Davis with the government expected to concede in court that the American qualifies for diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention. The government's counsel is expected to testify on Davis's diplomatic status when the Lahore high court reconvenes on Thursday.
The government's position, though not publicly disclosed, was finalised at a high-level meeting convened to devise a strategy on the Davis case, in view of the visit of US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry who is in Pakistan as a special envoy of the Obama administration.
"The Lahore high court will be informed that the US embassy's notification of January 20 in respect of Davis, intimating his appointment as a member of the administrative and technical staff, made him eligible for immunity under the Vienna Convention," an unnamed official was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.
Speculation that the US and Pakistan may be close to an arrangement on Davis gained ground after Senator Kerry announced at a news conference in Lahore late on Tuesday night that the US department of justice will conduct a criminal investigation into the incident in which Davis shot and killed two men despite his diplomatic immunity.
"Our department of justice will conduct its own thorough criminal investigation regardless of the immunity. We still believe the immunity applies but that doesn't mean we don't have the right under our law or the capacity to go through our own process," Kerry said.
The government is also expected to inform the high court that Pakistan's laws and the foreign ministry's regulations required Davis to be registered with authorities as a diplomat, but this could not be done because of certain unresolved queries, the official told the Dawn.
The court will also be told that the system of accreditation being followed in Pakistan is not in accordance with international law or prevalent in many countries, including the US, the official said. The matter will then be left for the court to interpret, the official added.
Lahore high court Chief Justice Ijaz Chaudhry had observed on February 1 that the court will decide "whether Davis has or does not have immunity".
Source
After weeks of tense standoff, the United States and Pakistan may be nearing an arrangement to repatriate US official Raymond Davis with the government expected to concede in court that the American qualifies for diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention. The government's counsel is expected to testify on Davis's diplomatic status when the Lahore high court reconvenes on Thursday.
The government's position, though not publicly disclosed, was finalised at a high-level meeting convened to devise a strategy on the Davis case, in view of the visit of US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry who is in Pakistan as a special envoy of the Obama administration.
"The Lahore high court will be informed that the US embassy's notification of January 20 in respect of Davis, intimating his appointment as a member of the administrative and technical staff, made him eligible for immunity under the Vienna Convention," an unnamed official was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.
Speculation that the US and Pakistan may be close to an arrangement on Davis gained ground after Senator Kerry announced at a news conference in Lahore late on Tuesday night that the US department of justice will conduct a criminal investigation into the incident in which Davis shot and killed two men despite his diplomatic immunity.
"Our department of justice will conduct its own thorough criminal investigation regardless of the immunity. We still believe the immunity applies but that doesn't mean we don't have the right under our law or the capacity to go through our own process," Kerry said.
The government is also expected to inform the high court that Pakistan's laws and the foreign ministry's regulations required Davis to be registered with authorities as a diplomat, but this could not be done because of certain unresolved queries, the official told the Dawn.
The court will also be told that the system of accreditation being followed in Pakistan is not in accordance with international law or prevalent in many countries, including the US, the official said. The matter will then be left for the court to interpret, the official added.
Lahore high court Chief Justice Ijaz Chaudhry had observed on February 1 that the court will decide "whether Davis has or does not have immunity".
Source
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Kerry, Obama play good cop-bad cop to free 'diplomat' Davis from Pak clutches
WASHINGTON: Some muscular coercion, a muffled apology, and an additional few hundred million dollars in aid appears to have paved way for a resolution between United States and Pakistan of the Raymond Davis affair that is threatening to derail ties between the mutually mistrustful allies.
The modalities of how Davis, the "Diplomat," will be freed are being worked out even as the two sides prepare to face the sulfurous fallout from the episode. The Pakistani street is expected to erupt in protest against release of former special forces agent accused of killing two Pakistanis suspected of being ISI tails.
The big question haunting Washington and Islamabad is whether the outburst will assume the proportions of the upheaval in Tunisia and Egypt and consume the weak government in Islamabad, bringing to power Islamist forces and jeopardizing US operations in Afghanistan.
The US is expected to argue its case for Davis' immunity and release at a hearing Thursday at the Lahore High Court, after the Pakistani government formally indicated on Tuesday that it had determined he enjoyed diplomatic protection, a ruling Islamabad avoided making for fear of public backlash.
The Pakistani softening came after US President Barack Obama and Democratic Senator John Kerry played the good cop-bad cop routine on a drama-filled Tuesday. In a White House press conference, Obama left no doubt that the US will use every instrument of power and pressure to force Islamabad to release Davis, who he described as "our diplomat in Pakistan."
"We've got a very simple principle here that every country in the world that is party to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations has upheld in the past and should uphold in the future, and that is if our diplomats are in another country, then they are not subject to that country's local prosecution. We respect it with respect to diplomats who are here. We expect Pakistan, that's a signatory and recognize Mr. Davis as a diplomat, to abide by the same convention," Obama declared in a stern admonition, after weeks of Pakistani gamesmanship on the matter.
Asked "how serious have your threats been to the Pakistani government if they don't hand him over," Obama responded "Well, I'm not going to discuss the specific exchanges that we've had. But we've been very firm about this being an important priority." It was President Obama's first comment on the matter.
Around the same time as Obama's forbidding ultimatum, US Senator John Kerry rushed to Lahore with a more placatory approach, expressing sorrow and regret about the loss of Pakistani lives in the incident and promising an investigation into the Davis incident even after he is returned to the US.
"We cannot allow one incident to break apart a much stronger bond that deals with millions of people in Pakistan, for whom we want to try to help build energy projects, new jobs, decent homes, education and healthcare," Kerry, who has engineered vast amounts of US aid to Pakistan, told reporters in Lahore.
Obama too was conciliatory to a degree, saying "We're concerned about the loss of life. We're not callous about that," but insisting "there's a broader principle at stake that I think we have to uphold" while referring to the Vienna Conventions. He repeatedly described Davis as a diplomat, although U.S and Pakistani accounts say he is a former special forces officer who went into the security business and became a member of the US mission's "administrative and technical" staff.
The twin Obama-Kerry moves were accompanied by well-publicized disclosure from the 2011 budget documents that the U.S was cranking up its aid to Pakistan to over $ 3 billion in the coming year, which would make it among the largest recipients of U.S foreign aid almost on par with Israel.
Kerry is expected to meet Pakistan's President Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani and Army Chief Kayani on Wednesday to argue on behalf of Davis and seek a resolution to the dispute.
Source
WASHINGTON: Some muscular coercion, a muffled apology, and an additional few hundred million dollars in aid appears to have paved way for a resolution between United States and Pakistan of the Raymond Davis affair that is threatening to derail ties between the mutually mistrustful allies.
The modalities of how Davis, the "Diplomat," will be freed are being worked out even as the two sides prepare to face the sulfurous fallout from the episode. The Pakistani street is expected to erupt in protest against release of former special forces agent accused of killing two Pakistanis suspected of being ISI tails.
The big question haunting Washington and Islamabad is whether the outburst will assume the proportions of the upheaval in Tunisia and Egypt and consume the weak government in Islamabad, bringing to power Islamist forces and jeopardizing US operations in Afghanistan.
The US is expected to argue its case for Davis' immunity and release at a hearing Thursday at the Lahore High Court, after the Pakistani government formally indicated on Tuesday that it had determined he enjoyed diplomatic protection, a ruling Islamabad avoided making for fear of public backlash.
The Pakistani softening came after US President Barack Obama and Democratic Senator John Kerry played the good cop-bad cop routine on a drama-filled Tuesday. In a White House press conference, Obama left no doubt that the US will use every instrument of power and pressure to force Islamabad to release Davis, who he described as "our diplomat in Pakistan."
"We've got a very simple principle here that every country in the world that is party to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations has upheld in the past and should uphold in the future, and that is if our diplomats are in another country, then they are not subject to that country's local prosecution. We respect it with respect to diplomats who are here. We expect Pakistan, that's a signatory and recognize Mr. Davis as a diplomat, to abide by the same convention," Obama declared in a stern admonition, after weeks of Pakistani gamesmanship on the matter.
Asked "how serious have your threats been to the Pakistani government if they don't hand him over," Obama responded "Well, I'm not going to discuss the specific exchanges that we've had. But we've been very firm about this being an important priority." It was President Obama's first comment on the matter.
Around the same time as Obama's forbidding ultimatum, US Senator John Kerry rushed to Lahore with a more placatory approach, expressing sorrow and regret about the loss of Pakistani lives in the incident and promising an investigation into the Davis incident even after he is returned to the US.
"We cannot allow one incident to break apart a much stronger bond that deals with millions of people in Pakistan, for whom we want to try to help build energy projects, new jobs, decent homes, education and healthcare," Kerry, who has engineered vast amounts of US aid to Pakistan, told reporters in Lahore.
Obama too was conciliatory to a degree, saying "We're concerned about the loss of life. We're not callous about that," but insisting "there's a broader principle at stake that I think we have to uphold" while referring to the Vienna Conventions. He repeatedly described Davis as a diplomat, although U.S and Pakistani accounts say he is a former special forces officer who went into the security business and became a member of the US mission's "administrative and technical" staff.
The twin Obama-Kerry moves were accompanied by well-publicized disclosure from the 2011 budget documents that the U.S was cranking up its aid to Pakistan to over $ 3 billion in the coming year, which would make it among the largest recipients of U.S foreign aid almost on par with Israel.
Kerry is expected to meet Pakistan's President Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani and Army Chief Kayani on Wednesday to argue on behalf of Davis and seek a resolution to the dispute.
Source
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Pak contradicts reports on understanding with US on Davis
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Foreign Office today contradicted media reports about any pronouncement being made on the diplomatic immunity of US official Raymond Davis, arrested after he shot and killed two men in Lahore last month.
"The spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry has contradicted reports appearing in the media about any pronouncement, public or official, made by the foreign ministry relating to the question of immunity of Raymond Allen Davis," said a brief statement issued by the Foreign Office.
"Speculation in this regard is unfounded," the statement said.
Speculation has gained ground in Islamabad that the US and Pakistan may be working on an arrangement to repatriate Davis following visiting Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry's remarks that the US Department of Justice will conduct a criminal investigation into the shooting incident regardless of Davis' immunity.
Reports in Pakistani newspapers had said today that the government is expected to concede in court that Davis qualifies for diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention.
The Lahore High Court, which is hearing several petitions regarding Davis' diplomatic status, will take up the case tomorrow.
"The Lahore High Court will be informed that the US Embassy's notification of January 20 in respect of Raymond Davis, intimating his appointment as a member of the administrative and technical staff, made him eligible for immunity under the Vienna Convention," an unnamed official was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Foreign Office today contradicted media reports about any pronouncement being made on the diplomatic immunity of US official Raymond Davis, arrested after he shot and killed two men in Lahore last month.
"The spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry has contradicted reports appearing in the media about any pronouncement, public or official, made by the foreign ministry relating to the question of immunity of Raymond Allen Davis," said a brief statement issued by the Foreign Office.
"Speculation in this regard is unfounded," the statement said.
Speculation has gained ground in Islamabad that the US and Pakistan may be working on an arrangement to repatriate Davis following visiting Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry's remarks that the US Department of Justice will conduct a criminal investigation into the shooting incident regardless of Davis' immunity.
Reports in Pakistani newspapers had said today that the government is expected to concede in court that Davis qualifies for diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention.
The Lahore High Court, which is hearing several petitions regarding Davis' diplomatic status, will take up the case tomorrow.
"The Lahore High Court will be informed that the US Embassy's notification of January 20 in respect of Raymond Davis, intimating his appointment as a member of the administrative and technical staff, made him eligible for immunity under the Vienna Convention," an unnamed official was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf
Raza Gilani on Wednesday said the fate of
the US official, arrested for gunning down
two men would be decided by the courts,
amid reports that Washington and
Islamabad had come close to resolving the
stand-off over the issue.
"The matter is for the courts to decide or if
the relatives of the dead men grant
pardon," Gilani said as US President Barack
Obama in his first comment on the matter
raised the stakes by insisting Pakistan
should adhere to the Vienna Convention on
Diplomatic Relations by freeing Raymond
Davis.
The comments from the Prime Minister
came as the Lahore high court hearing the
case of the diplomat is to take up several
petitions including from the government on
the diplomatic immunity for the official
tomorrow.
The Davis case has become a flashpoint
between Pakistan and the US, triggering
anti-American sentiments in the country,
which is making it harder for authorities to
back down despite US pressure.
Media reports quoting unnamed Pakistani
officials claimed that the two countries,
after weeks of a tense stand-off, were near
an arrangement to repatriate the US official
and that Pakistan government would
concede in the court that he qualified for
diplomatic immunity.
To make matters tougher for the
government, former foreign minister Shah
Mahmood Qureshi, miffed over his ouster
from the foreign office, claimed that Davis
could not be granted "blanket immunity" as
desired by the Americans.
The minister said he was ready to testify in
the court, if he was called, in connection
with the matter.
The PPP leader said the expert opinion that
Davis was not qualified for diplomatic
immunity to Davis was formulated at an
inter-ministerial meeting held by the
Foreign Office.
Hours after the media report and Qureshi's
comments made at a press conference, the
foreign office contradicted that the
government had made any pronouncement
to the question of immunity of Davis.
"The spokesperson of the foreign ministry
has contradicted reports appearing in the
media about any pronouncement, public or
official, made by the foreign ministry
relating to the question of immunity of
Raymond Allen Davis," said a brief
statement issued by the foreign office.
"Speculation in this regard is unfounded," it
said. Conceding that Pakistan was facing
"difficult decisions" on the issue and that
there may be a political price to pay, Gilani
told a gathering of clerics that the decision
on the matter would be of the court only.
m.timesofindia.com/PDATOI/articleshow/7509020.cms
Now the most interesting point in the statement by Gilani is when he said Davis could be released if the relatives of the two killed people say so. This could either be used to find a back door exit for Davis or it may be used by hardliners to mount pressure on the pak govt to not release him.
Raza Gilani on Wednesday said the fate of
the US official, arrested for gunning down
two men would be decided by the courts,
amid reports that Washington and
Islamabad had come close to resolving the
stand-off over the issue.
"The matter is for the courts to decide or if
the relatives of the dead men grant
pardon," Gilani said as US President Barack
Obama in his first comment on the matter
raised the stakes by insisting Pakistan
should adhere to the Vienna Convention on
Diplomatic Relations by freeing Raymond
Davis.
The comments from the Prime Minister
came as the Lahore high court hearing the
case of the diplomat is to take up several
petitions including from the government on
the diplomatic immunity for the official
tomorrow.
The Davis case has become a flashpoint
between Pakistan and the US, triggering
anti-American sentiments in the country,
which is making it harder for authorities to
back down despite US pressure.
Media reports quoting unnamed Pakistani
officials claimed that the two countries,
after weeks of a tense stand-off, were near
an arrangement to repatriate the US official
and that Pakistan government would
concede in the court that he qualified for
diplomatic immunity.
To make matters tougher for the
government, former foreign minister Shah
Mahmood Qureshi, miffed over his ouster
from the foreign office, claimed that Davis
could not be granted "blanket immunity" as
desired by the Americans.
The minister said he was ready to testify in
the court, if he was called, in connection
with the matter.
The PPP leader said the expert opinion that
Davis was not qualified for diplomatic
immunity to Davis was formulated at an
inter-ministerial meeting held by the
Foreign Office.
Hours after the media report and Qureshi's
comments made at a press conference, the
foreign office contradicted that the
government had made any pronouncement
to the question of immunity of Davis.
"The spokesperson of the foreign ministry
has contradicted reports appearing in the
media about any pronouncement, public or
official, made by the foreign ministry
relating to the question of immunity of
Raymond Allen Davis," said a brief
statement issued by the foreign office.
"Speculation in this regard is unfounded," it
said. Conceding that Pakistan was facing
"difficult decisions" on the issue and that
there may be a political price to pay, Gilani
told a gathering of clerics that the decision
on the matter would be of the court only.
m.timesofindia.com/PDATOI/articleshow/7509020.cms
Now the most interesting point in the statement by Gilani is when he said Davis could be released if the relatives of the two killed people say so. This could either be used to find a back door exit for Davis or it may be used by hardliners to mount pressure on the pak govt to not release him.
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