Friday, February 11, 2011

Raymond Davis Sent To Jail in Pakistan

LAHORE: Today on Friday, The Lahore High Court has sent Raymond Davis, a US official, to jail on a judicial remand of 14 days. This happened as Punjab Police has reached to a decision contrary to what was the claim of Raymond that whatever he did was for his self defense. Raymiond Davis going to court
Punjab government prosecutor Abdul Samad shared with media, “He has been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. The next hearing will be on February 25”. 
Lahore Police Chief Aslam Tareen told reporters, "It was clear cut murder. Witnesses told police that Davis kept firing even when one of the men was running away. It means he wanted to ensure that that they were killed ".

This is all the result of Jan 26 shooting by US officer, Raymond Davis, in which 2 people were killed and a pedestrian died by the accident of an embassy car which came to aid him. Raymond was surrounded by the local people on the scene. When police came and arrested Raymond then he claimed that he shot the two men in self defense because they were trying to rob him. Police also found two pistols with the dead bodies of the killed Pakistani locals. Crime Scene Lahore
After that US embassy in Pakistan claimed that held official is a diplomat and has got the immunity therefore. This is still an issue to be solved. Pakistan foreign office has not yet spoken in this regard except what we heard from foreign office spokesman that the case is in court and no comments on immunity can be passed outside court.
Davis' lawyer also today filed a petition, confronting the court's jurisdiction over the case. Arguments on this petition will be heard on February 25 by a judge.
This incident has also injured the friendly relationship between the two countries. Pakistan is under an immense pressure by the US. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as said by the State Department, has lifted the matter with Pakistani officials and the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter had meetings with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and phone talk with the PML (N) leader Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif on the issue. Pakistan has also been threatened by the US congress members in their meetings with Pakistani officials to be ready for the cuts in the US funding to Pakistan.
Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon said on Tuesday after arriving to Washington from meetings in Pakistan and Afghanistan, "We indicated it could very well be" that the United States might consider withholding funding,”.
Rep. John Klein said, "It is entirely possible that a member of Congress would come down and offer an amendment to cut funding for Pakistan, based on their detaining Mr. Davis, and my guess is there would be a lot support for such an amendment, frankly because of the outrage of detaining an American with diplomatic immunity," . 19713
The case has ignited some protest and stimulated anti-American sentiments in  Pakistan. The case has become a time-bomb for the government as Pakistani nationals have taken a hard line that they want blood for blood or exchange of Pakistani nationals , Dr. Afia specially , prisoners in USA and Guantanamo-be. Local lawyers also disagree on diplomatic immunity of Davis and believe that there is no diplomatic immunity according to international diplomatic principles for grave crimes.

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