ISLAMABAD – The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has sought details of Raymond Davis-like CIA agents operating in its territory from the US as a major condition to move ahead leaving behind the Lahore incident, in which two Pakistanis were killed by the detained American spy.
US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta made a telephone call to ISI chief General Ahmad Shuja Pasha on Saturday to discuss the contentious issue of Davis that has generated a grave diplomatic row between Islamabad and Washington. The Obama administration has declared Davis its diplomat entitled to immunity but Pakistan does not see eye to eye with the US over this issue.
“The CIA chief told General Pasha that the Lahore incident was unfortunate and that he was sad over the killing of Pakistanis. Panetta said he hoped the two agencies would move ahead from here and leave behind the gory incident that had bedeviled the ties between the two states,” an official said requesting anonymity.
However, he said the ISI chief told the CIA chief that it was unfortunate that CIA operatives were active in various parts of Pakistan and there had been no intimation about their presence or activities to Pakistani authorities. He said that General Pasha demanded the CIA provide the ISI with all the details about its operatives other than Davis present in Pakistan.
In response to that, he added the CIA chief said that good relations with Pakistan were a top priority for the Obama administration and his organisation would try its best to address Islamabad’s grievances. The CIA chief also sought the help of his counterpart in the ISI for the release of Davis, the official said. Another official said the issue of Davis was also discussed thoroughly in a recent meeting in Oman between army chief General Ashfaq Kayani and top US military officials, including Admiral Michael Mullen and General David Petreaus.
“The US military leadership also sought the help of General Kayani to resolve the issue of Davis. General Kayani told the American military leaders that the matter is now in a court of law and it will decide the issue of detained American citizen,” he said. He said the army chief also reiterated Pakistan’s demand for the drone technology from the US during the meeting with American military commanders saying that it would resolve the matter of Pakistan’s serious objections to attacks by the US spy planes on its soil.
Meanwhile, a report in the New York Times quoted a senior Pakistani intelligence official as saying that the ISI estimated that there were “scores” more such contractors “working behind our backs.”
