Unless we learn from this issue, there may be more instances of a Raymond Davis creating trouble in our country.
ISLAMABAD: Your editorial of February 18 titled “Raymond Davis case: Emotion and realpolitik” was balanced and commendable. Both extreme positions, one asking to send Raymond to the gallows and the other allowing him scot-free departure on the plea of diplomatic immunity, are flawed. The law must prevail and justice be done. However, our extremely important and now highly-fragile relationship with America should not be further dented through an emotional approach.
Unless we learn from this issue, there may be more instances of a Raymond Davis creating trouble in our country. Why were laid-down procedures bypassed to give him and his colleagues visas? Surely, there must be others like him in Pakistan and they all constitute a security risk. I know that discerning security-conscious states take months to issue visas even to genuine diplomats. The fact that we issued visas by the dozens to these gun-slinging ‘diplomats’ calls for an independent enquiry.
That said, both Pakistan and America need each other at this critical juncture and must try to come to a compromise and agree on a package deal that could afford face-saving to each side. This could possibly include the following: 1. The US government apologises to the government and the people of Pakistan; 2. Raymond Davis is declared persona non-grata by Pakistan and sent to the United States for trial; 3. The families of the three dead Pakistanis get ‘qisas’ from the US government; 4. All others with similar assignments in Pakistan are asked to leave Pakistan and 5. the driver of the other car is handed over to the Pakistani authorities for a separate investigation.
Ambassador (retd) Javed Hafeez
Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th,
