LAHORE – Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) contractor Raymond Davis, who was charged with double murder after shooting dead two men in Lahore last month, refused to sign a charge sheet in a preliminary hearing at the Kot Lakhpat Jail on Friday and insisted that he had diplomatic immunity, lawyers said.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Yousaf began a regular hearing of the case, at the start of which the accused was told to sign a charge sheet, but Davis refused to sign the Urdu document. The court then arranged for an English version, but Davis still refused to sign and submitted an application instead demanding that he be released because he had diplomatic immunity.
The court adjourned the hearing till March 3 and issued notices to the government and all parties concerned for argument on Davis’ application. Additional Prosecutor General Abdul Samad said that Davis, who claimed he acted in self-defense when he shot the men, was handcuffed during the hearing, which was guarded by more than 300 armed police officers in and around the prison.
He said further that the issue of diplomatic immunity, to be settled by the Lahore High Court, would not affect the murder charges unless the higher court barred them from proceeding. A police officer said the police had seized a Glock pistol, four loaded magazines, a GPS navigation system and a telescope from Davis’ car after the Jan 27 shooting.
Asad Manzoor Butt, lawyer for the families of the men who were shot dead, rejected the American’s claim to diplomatic immunity and said that the families would press charges because they wanted Davis to be punished for his acts. US Consul General Carmela Conroy and other American officials were also present at the hearing.
Shafiq Sharif adds: Five members of Davis’ family had reached Lahore early on Saturday, sources told Pakistan Today. Two women and three children who were reportedly Davis’ relatives had arrived at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport at around 2.30am, sources said, and had left for Islamabad from where they would come to visit him soon.
However, their identity could not be verified and a US Consulate official denied the report.
