ISLAMABAD – Apparently following a policy of reconciliation and engagement with all political parties, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has decided to pitch two major factions of the PML – Nawaz and Quaid – against each other not only for a political gain in Punjab but also to shift the public’s attention from the issue of Raymond Davis.
A PPP insider informed Pakistan Today that the government was mulling a strategy to divert focus from the Davis’ issue and its break up with the PML-N has provided an opportunity to the government to work on the plan to overshadow the issue of diplomatic immunity to the American killer of two Pakistanis.
“Under a plan, it has been decided that as confrontation between the rival PML groups will increase, the PPP will stand with the PML-Q on moral grounds to condemn the defection of 47 MPs to the PML-N,” the source said, adding that Law Minister Babar Awan would coordinate with the Chaudhrys to reassure the PPP’s support against the PML-N.
Soon after PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif’s announcement of parting ways with the PPP, the PPP came hard on the PML-N for once again reviving the culture of the 90s by welcoming the turncoats in its fold. On the other hand, the PPP itself would not use harsh language against the PML-N with a bid to take moral advantage of the situation and keeping the PML-N engaged, the source said.
The source said once the attention of the media was diverted from the Davis issue, the government would be able to produce documents before the court on March 5. However, he added, the government might seek more time from the court to inform it about Davis’ immunity if things did not move in the desired direction. In a significant development, the government on Friday had announced diplomatic immunity to around 2,570 foreigners including diplomats and non-diplomats working at embassies and consulates of 78 countries in Pakistan.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar tried to confuse the partial immunity for non-diplomatic and technical staff of foreign missions with the blanket immunity to the diplomats, saying that all those working at foreign missions were entitled to diplomatic immunity. She also said a total of 1,919 were foreign diplomats while 651 non-diplomats enjoyed immunity.
According to the list, the US had 851 officials in Pakistan, the largest in number, who the government said enjoyed ‘diplomatic immunity.’ Article 37, paragraph 2, of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, states that the diplomatic immunity of “the administrative and technical staff”, which the consulate described Davis is, “shall not extend to acts performed outside the course of their duties.”
The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, which has been overlooked, reads as follows in Article 41, “Consular officers shall not be liable to arrest or detention pending trial, except in the case of a grave crime and pursuant to a decision by the competent legal authority.” The PPP source said the strategy was given final touches on Thursday night by the party leadership asking the PPP leaders to try and shift the media attention to Lahore so that the immunity issue to the US citizen could be resolved amicably.
He said all actions were being taken in line with the instructions by President Asif Ali Zardari to handle the situation.”To add more fuel to the confrontational path, the government has decided to send Law Minister Babar Awan to Lahore asking him to hold meetings with the PML-Q leadership and to adopt a hostile stance which would result in exchange of heated arguments from both sides,” said the PPP source.
The source said Awan was tasked to use all his cards cautiously giving no opportunity to the PML-N to blame the PPP for the unrest and rather urge the PML-Q to act as a frontline player. He would also assure Pervaiz Elahi that the federal government would address all his concerns, including action against Moonis Elahi.
“Babar will also inform Elahi that the FIA was acting on SC orders and the federal government had no role in this regard. Moreover, he would also assure the Chaudhrys of full cooperation by the Centre,” added the PPP leader.
PPP aiming to kill 2 birds with one stone
