Petition filed in Pak court to make America ‘party’ in Davis immunity case
By ANITuesday, March 1, 2011
LAHORE - A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court to make the United States of America a party in the ongoing Raymond Davis immunity case.
Petitioner Advocate Azhar Siddique filed three different petitions in the LHC on Tuesday in this regard, the Dawn reports.
The petition requested the court to prevent the case of Davis’ diplomatic immunity issue from being heard in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as the case was already being heard in the LHC.
The petition also said that as the United States did not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICJ, hence the international court should not hear the Davis immunity case.
The plea further said that news reports pertaining to Davis’ connections with the Central Intelligence Agency should also be included in the case against him.
The petitioner also stated that the court should issue a notice to US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter in the case.
CIA contractor Davis was arrested by police after shooting dead two Pakistani on January 27 in Lahore, allegedly in self-defence.
Since then, the US has repeatedly called for the immediate release of the US official, who it says has been “unlawfully detained by authorities in Lahore.”
In February, US Senator John Kerry visited Pakistan to hold talks with national leaders aimed at resolving a bitter diplomatic row over Davis, and US President Barack Obama publicly spoke for the first time on the issue, insisting that Pakistan must recognize Davis as a diplomat and release him on the grounds of diplomatic immunity.
However, rebuffing the US demand so far, Pakistan has maintained that the matter is sub-judice and the legal process should be respected. (ANI)
