ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s top leadership on Friday endorsed the “blood money deal” between American citizen Raymond Davis, arrested for killing two Pakistanis in Lahore, and relatives of the victims for ending the diplomatic row with the United States.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the Presidency. “Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani was also present during the meeting,” said an official statement issued after the high-level talks. “Issues relating to the war against militancy were discussed during the meeting,” it said.
However, an official privy to meeting said the issue of terrorism was deliberated upon during the talks, but the focus was on the Pakistan-US diplomatic row over the fate of the detained American citizen. In a related development, the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) core committee unanimously decided late on Thursday night that the government will not present Raymond Davis’ diplomatic immunity certificate in the Lahore High Court.
“The government will not certify the US claim for diplomatic immunity to Raymond Davis,” a source in the PPP told Pakistan Today on Friday. He said the core committee was of the view that it was for the US to plead for immunity in the court. He said it was decided that the government would ask the US to defend their claim regarding diplomatic immunity in the court.
“If the US embassy claims immunity through the court, the government will present the record pertaining to Davis and the matter will be decided by the court,” the source said. After the lapse of 23 days, the federal government has failed to come up with a clear position on Davis’ diplomatic immunity issue. Its lawyer, Naveed Inayat Malik, on February 17 requested the Lahore High Court for three weeks to file a reply in the court in this regard therefore the court adjourned the hearing until March 14.
On the other hand, the US is not willing to defend Davis’ diplomatic immunity in court and so far no lawyer on behalf of the US embassy has appeared before the court to contend his case as the US administration is continuously pressurising the Pakistani government to certify diplomatic immunity for Davis.
