ISLAMABAD – In a clear expression of rising annoyance among Pakistani authorities over mounting US pressure for the release of Raymond Davis, an American detained in Lahore for killing two Pakistani citizens, Pakistan on Sunday said it would not sit quiet over the shooting of its citizens.
With Islamabad’s rejection of the US demand for Davis’ immediate release, the US, instead of backing off, has intensified pressure with American diplomats in Washington and Islamabad warning Pakistan of deep negative impact on bilateral ties if the US national was not released immediately.
“The pressure has increased a great deal and now the indications from the US State Department suggest that if the issue of Davis were not resolved soon, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and even President Barack Obama himself could intervene for its settlement by taking up this issue directly with the top Pakistani leadership,” a Pakistani diplomat said.
He said they were telling the Americans to be patient and wait for the completion of the legal process to take its course. The president’s office also opted for a tough position on Sunday over the contentious issue of Davis perhaps sensing the rage and anger among the citizens across the country over Lahore incident. President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar, in a statement, said, “The law will take its own course, and investigations are still going on.”
He said, “Legal process will be observed and respected,” he said. “The government will not sit quiet over the shoot out of our nationals,” Babar said. He also rejected the notion of pressure being applied for the release of Davis by the US or Pakistan succumbing to any such pressure. “There is no issue of pressure being exerted,” he said. “It is wrong to say that at this stage the government has already decided to send Davis to the US,” Babar said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani declined to comment on Davis’ arrest, saying the matter was being probed by courts and regional authorities, AFP reported.
