A shooting in Lahore

It is imperative that police verify claims that riders were indeed robbers.

January 27’s shooting incident on the busy streets of Lahore has all the makings of high drama reaching boiling point. At a time when anti-American passions are running high and when society is deeply polarised following Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer’s assassination, a shootout leading to deaths of two Pakistanis at the hands of a US government official could have serious repercussions. The incident itself is mired in controversy since the claim of “self-defence” used by the American citizen, who works for the US consulate in Lahore, is unlikely to be believed by many, especially those who see a conspiracy under every stone and who think that Pakistan is about to run over by the Americans and because the American may have used excessive force. That said, it is important at this point that this incident not be exploited by any political or religious group. The police, by all accounts, have quoted the American in saying that he acted in self-defence since he thought that the two men whom he shot were armed and were about to rob him at a traffic signal.

It would be fair to assume that given the law and order situation in the country and especially in volatile places such as Lahore, which has seen more than its fair share of terrorist incidents in the past few years, American, and perhaps other western, diplomats travel armed. What will need to be investigated is whether this was known to Pakistani authorities since host countries are usually notified in advance of such procedures.  There are already questions being raised – and this will continue to happen – that had a Pakistani killed two Americans in, say, New York, he would immediately be locked up and given a long prison sentence or even death. However, it is imperative that the police, to the best of their ability, verify the claim that the motorcyclists were indeed robbers and perhaps weapons, if any, recovered from them could be used as proof. They also need to ascertain, and this is crucial, whether the American used excessive force. In any case, even in the US, shooting in self-defence can often result in a conviction, sometimes on a lesser charge, especially if it is proved that the person who claims to have acted in self-defence used excessive force.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2011.