Tag: Immunity

LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Monday issued a notice to the attorney general for March 14 on a petition challenging Diplomatic and Consular Privileges Act, 1972, calling it against fundamental human rights guaranteed in the constitution.
Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry passed the order on a petition filed by petitioner-counsel Muhammad Azhar Siddique. The petitioner-counsel contended the act was in conflict with the fundamental rights as envisaged in the Constitution 1973

ISLAMABAD - US Ambassador Cameron Munter on Monday held a meeting with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and discussed with her the issue of Raymond Davis, the American jailed in Lahore for murdering two Pakistani citizens.
"Munter had a detailed discussion with the minister of state for foreign affairs and he asked her to certify the diplomatic immunity for Davis," said an official wishing not to be named. He said the US envoy reiterated that Davis enjoyed

ISLAMABAD - Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Wednesday US national Raymond Davis did not qualify for blanket immunity. "In a meeting at the Foreign Office on January 31, I was told by Foreign Ministry officials that Raymond Davis did not qualify for blanket immunity," he said.
Addressing a press conference after meeting Senator John Kerry, Qureshi said that the Foreign Ministry officials had reached at the conclusion after going through all relevant record and

ISLAMABAD - Without saying an outright 'no' to the US in view of a strong backlash and taking a middle ground, the government has skillfully conveyed to Washington a covert solution to the issue of Raymond Davis, a killer of two Pakistanis, suggesting that the matter can be settled out of the court as provided under Qisas and Diyat laws, which is part of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Reflecting what appears to be an understanding reached between Islamabad and Washington during

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD - The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday directed Deputy Attorney General Naveed Inayet Malik to submit a reply on behalf of the Foreign Ministry regarding the diplomatic immunity to Raymond Davis, while the US expressed its disappointment that Pakistan did not certify immunity for the American national in court.
On Thursday, Malik appeared on behalf of the federal government and informed the court of Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry that Davis' name had been

ISLAMABAD - In a dramatic development, the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday sent a letter to the Law Ministry, declaring Raymond Davis a diplomat enjoying immunity and seeking advice on the legal aspects of the contentious issue. The latest but highly significant move on part of the Foreign Office came at a time when an influential US Senator John Kerry is visiting Pakistan to resolve the diplomatic row with Pakistan over the detention of the US citizen, who was arrested in Lahore on

LAHORE - A writ petition has been moved in the Lahore High Court to summon former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and PPP information secretary Fouzia Wahab for giving contradictory statements on the issue of diplomatic immunity to double murder accused American national Raymond Davis.
The court has ordered the accused to divulge material before the court to substantiate their respective statements. Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique filed a petition stating Shah Mahmood

ISLAMABAD - Speaking on the issue of immunity to Raymond Davis, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir on Saturday said he would not have sought immunity if he had done something criminal. Interacting with the Diplomatic Correspondents' Association, basher said, "If I had done something criminal, I would not have sought immunity."
In its first formal but calculatedly guarded reaction to the issue of the American citizen, Davis, who had killed two Pakistanis in Lahore, he hoped

ISLAMABAD - PPP Information Secretary MNA Fauzia Wahab has said Raymond Davis enjoys immunity if he holds a diplomatic passport. "We understand international and ground realities. Davis had diplomatic passport and whosoever has diplomatic passport enjoys the diplomatic immunity," she said.
Talking to a private TV channel, she said it would be difficult for the Punjab government to offer any excuse if the centre objected to any out irregularities being committed in Punjab. She

ISLAMABAD - The government on Wednesday dropped a tacit hint that Raymond Davis, accused of killing two Pakistani youths in Lahore, would be given diplomatic immunity when Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the killer was issued a diplomatic visa after requisite security clearance and Pakistan could not violate "certain protocols".
"Raymond Davis holds a diplomatic passport ... he travelled to Pakistan on a diplomatic visa given after clearance by the security agencies of the

ISLAMABAD - A petition was filed in the Supreme Court by Barrister Zafarullah Khan on Monday pleading that the accused American national who killed two persons in Lahore on January 27,2011, should not be allowed any kind of immunity. Filed under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, the federal and Punjab governments, Foreign Affairs and Interior ministries and Inspector General Police Punjab were made the respondents.
The petitioner sought direction to the government to act

LAHORE - After the petition filed by Barrister Zafrullah Khan in Supreme Court on Monday against 'diplomatic immunity' for Raymond Davis, chances of his release are now hinged upon the approval of families of the deceased. Apparently they might be under great pressure in coming days to forgive or accept blood money from the killer of their loved ones.
Clerics, who backed the deceased families, have mixed reaction about the upcoming scenario. Ameer Markazi Jamaat-i-Ahlehadith

LAHORE - The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday sought reply until today (Tuesday) from the federal and Punjab governments on four petitions seeking court orders for restraining removing accused Raymond Davis outside the LHC jurisdiction or his possible handing-over to the US on basis of diplomatic immunity.
LHC Chief Justice (CJ) Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry issued the order while hearing identical petitions filed by Asif Hussain, Muhammad Asghar, Ahmad Masood Gujjar and Iqbal Jaferry.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's foreign policy managers expect the US to come up with a request of diplomatic immunity for Raymond Davis, but it is almost impossible for Islamabad to accept any such demand owing to the rising anti-Americanism across the country.
US Ambassador in Islamabad Cameron Munter called on Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir at the Foreign Office on Friday to discuss the Lahore incident. "The US envoy asked for consular access for the American national and it was

LAHORE - Jurists say all officials working in the US embassy do not have a status of diplomatic immunity against any offence and Raymond Davis, accused of killing two men in Lahore, will face murder charges if he does not have the immunity. They said some officials of the lower cadre did not have diplomatic immunity, which was only exclusive to diplomats.
Ahmer Bilal Sufi, an expert on international laws, said the identity and status of Raymond Davis held the key to his future in

LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday summoned former director Haj Maj (r) Rao Shakeel Ahmad for December 20, during the hearing of an application filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB), seeking
the cancellation of his exemption from appearing in court.
Earlier, court had exempted Rao Shakeel Ahmad from appearing in court during the trials of a reference filed against him as he was serving as DCO Khaniwal and he had to participate in several meetings in this