Punjab’s request for trying Davis declined

Federal govt declines Punjab govt's request seeking trial of Raymond Davis for espionage.


Express February 15, 2011

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has declined a Punjab government request seeking trial of ‘US diplomatic official’ Raymond Davis, who is also facing double murder charges, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The Punjab government had asked for instituting a case of espionage against Davis. Police prosecutors had recommended trying Davis for spying on the basis of “strong evidence” against him. However, the federal government’s consent was necessary because Davis claims to be a member of the US diplomatic mission, sources said.

In a letter to the federal government, the provincial authorities had recommended registration of an espionage case on the basis of a confessional statement of Davis that he had made during interrogation, the source added.

Police had recovered sensitive documents and photographs of Pakistan’s defence installations from Davis.

In another letter addressed to the ministry of foreign affairs, the Punjab government has sought the custody of four employees of the US consulate-general in Lahore.

They are accused of crushing to death a Pakistani citizen while they were driving in a marketplace of Lahore on Jan 27 when Davis shot dead two Pakistanis. The police had registered a criminal case against them.

According to Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, the accused are hiding in the US consulate general in Lahore. The consulate officials have asked the Punjab government to approach the ministry of foreign affairs for the custody of the four men and their vehicle.

Another source told The Express Tribune that the police have recovered a file from Davis which contained highly sensitive information.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2011.

COMMENTS (13)

Imran | 13 years ago | Reply Please free Raymond Davis. The two guyz he killed were dubious armed ppl n we cant risk losing all the aid, all the business market and all the student visas n job visas for just one man ! We r too heavily dependent on US to make an issue over one man...They have threatened to cut off military n civil aid of 8 Bn $, cut down all training programs and even reduce visas for Pakistanis. No price would have been too much, IF, and its a big if, human life was worth anything in Pk, which it is not, as borne by various violent incidents daily, and if we were willing to buckle up and work hard and live within our means. With a resounding no to both, an armed invasion of fundamentalists around the corner and we at our last gasps clutching at straws, we r in no position to resist. And as for immunity, anyone undercover of a diplomat has immunity, spy or otherwise. No one has ever arrested or punished a diplomat except where his country of origin WAIVED his immunity like geogia did when thier ambassador killed someone in USA. Russia didnt when thier ambassador killed in Canada so Canada had to return him, but the russians punished him themslves. When a libyan diplomat shot dead a policewoman in England, the English requested the Libyans to waive his diplomatic immunity. When Libya didnt, they returned the diplomat to libya but in protest broke diplomatic relations. But they didnt punish the diplomat. Pakistani diplomats were caught with RDX, with heroin, having sex with prostitutes in public places but because of immunity they were not prosecuted. Thats the law. We must follow it in Ramond case and request USA to try him in american courts n if needed send a lawyer there. No need to get so emotional about it and dont ask the govt to break the international law !
Iqbal Butt | 13 years ago | Reply The PML-N government should initiate a long march against the release of the Infidel Raymond Davis
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