ISLAMABAD – To maintain the rule of law, the political parties on Saturday asked the government to not to give in to pressure from the US government regarding the release of the American citizen who killed two Pakistanis in Lahore.
PML-Q: Reacting to the US demand of immediate release of Raymond Davis, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid group’s Senator Tariq Azeem raised fundamental questions about the US embassy’s reluctance to identify Davis’ credentials and his assignment in Pakistan.
“I wonder why facts are being hidden. What is this man’s real name and job in Pakistan? Why was not he issued a diplomatic visa by Pakistan if he is a diplomat?” Azeem questioned, adding that this silence was suspicious. The senator further added that there was no blanket immunity to diplomats under the Vienna Convention and the immunity varied for a guard and a diplomat.
He also regretted the statement of the superintendent police Lahore, who had initially dubbed both Pakistani citizens killed by Davis as dacoits. The police official had also said the US citizen had killed both Pakistanis in self-defence.
“This (statement) was a strategic blunder on the official’s part because it was made before any investigation and the western media and US embassy are using it in their interest,” Azeem said.
AWAMI NATIONAL PARTY (ANP): The Awami National Party (ANP), an ally of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), also took the matter seriously as its Senior Vice President Senator Haji Mohammad Adeel said it was a criminal case and the law should be followed. “In my party’s view, the government should follow the law of the land.
If the US authorities claim immunity for its citizen they should prove it in the court,” Adeel said. When asked to comment on the claim of the US embassy about immunity, Adeel questioned the concept of diplomatic immunity that allowed the diplomats to kill.
“Does the US ambassador have the right to kill any Pakistani? It is for the court to decide who is the criminal and who is not and if diplomatic immunity applies or not,” he said, adding that no law allowed diplomats to carry weapons and kill citizens.
JAMIAT ULEMA-E-ISLAM-FAZL: The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) also took the same position but held the political parties of Pakistan responsible for such incidents as it believed that they were under the US influence and could not take a firm stance on any issue.
JUI-F leader Fazlur Rehman said all the political parties operated under the US influence. Referring to the incident as the biggest test for the rulers, he said “We will not allow any American to play with our blood.”
JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI: The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) criticized the US government for defending a killer. Former JI leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed came hard on the US authorities for siding with the killer and not with those who had been killed unlawfully.
“Diplomatic immunity does not authorize even an ambassador to kill anyone … nobody would buy the idea that both Pakistanis were on a mission to rob the US citizen in the Qartaba Chowk which is one of the busiest places in Lahore… killing innocent youth is sheer highhandedness of the US citizen,” Qazi said.
Qazi said it was prerogative of the courts to decide whether the offence was conducted in self-defence or not. “Look, the youngsters were fired at from the back. So how one can claim that the attack was made in self-defence?” he asked. He said the US embassy was also making contradictory statements over the identity of the killer.
Terming the matter a challenge for the government as well as the political leadership of the country, Qazi said the handling of the matter will reveal US influence on Pakistani politics.
“The ball is actually in the government’s court now. Let us see how patriotic, democratic and sovereign this government is. This will also test the nerves of the political leadership of the country,” he said.
