Pak Foreign Ministry has no records on Davis’ diplomatic immunity status: DAG
March 15th, 2011 - 11:43 am ICT by ANILahore, Mar 15(ANI): Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has informed the Lahore High Court that double murder-accused US official Raymond Davis came to Pakistan on an official business visa issued on the request made by American authorities, but stopped short of unequivocally stating whether the CIA contractor enjoys diplomatic status.
On behalf of the Foreign Ministry, Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Naveed Inayat Malik furnished a reply to the four petitions against diplomatic immunity for Davis, The Nation reports.
The reply, however, fell short of clearly articulating whether Davis is a diplomat or not, as Inayat Malik said the ministry did not have any records on Davis’ diplomatic immunity status.
The DAG denied any alteration on part of the ministry in the official record relating to Davis, or that the ministry was interfering in the investigations of the case.
He told LHC Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry that the US Embassy approached the ministry on January 27 with a request to release Davis to the custody of US Consul General in Lahore Carmela Conroy.
Inayat Malik said that as the embassy claimed that Davis was holding a diplomatic passport, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations may be consulted (by the court) to address the points raised through the petitions.
However, neither did he come up with any precise answer to the question of Davis’ diplomatic status nor he presented any certificate in terms of Section 4 of the Diplomatic and Consular Privileges Act of 1972 to the court, despite a strong call from the petitioner’s counsel, Muhammad Azhar Siddique.
The full implications of Monday’s High Court hearing were unclear, and a US embassy spokesman in Islamabad said that officials were studying the court’s written judgment for clarification.
The long-awaited decision will now move to the lower court trying Davis on double murder charges, which is due to meet again on Wednesday. (ANI)
- Court issues notice to Pak Govt on application against 'special facilities in jail' for Davis - Mar 01, 2011
- Pak Govt to tell court Davis doesn't enjoy blanket immunity: Sources - Mar 13, 2011
- Pak's arrest of murder-accused diplomat 'violation of Vienna Convention': US - Feb 04, 2011
- Lahore trial court to decide Davis immunity issue - Mar 14, 2011
- Lahore HC admits petition to make media reports part of Davis immunity case - Mar 02, 2011
- 'Pressurised' Pak Foreign Office relents, declares murder accused American "a diplomat" - Feb 16, 2011
- Davis to have legal counsel during trial court proceedings in Pakistan: US Embassy - Mar 16, 2011
- Pak Foreign Ministry denies 'reported statement' on Davis' diplomatic immunity - Feb 17, 2011
- Double murder-accused American diplomat in Lahore is a "former US Army officer" - Feb 06, 2011
- US mounts pressure on Pakistan to release 'illegally detained' murder-accused diplomat - Feb 08, 2011
- Murder-accused US official's file not tampered with: Malik - Feb 13, 2011
- Double murder case against Davis adjourned until March 16 - Mar 08, 2011
- Lahore High Court dismisses petitions on Davis immunity - Mar 14, 2011
- Pak court rejects Davis' plea for diplomatic immunity - Mar 03, 2011
- Pak Punjab Govt. won't bow to pressure in murder-accused US diplomat's trial: Shahbaz - Feb 01, 2011
Tags: american authorities, awaited decision, business visa, chaudhry, cia contractor, consul general, deputy attorney general, diplomatic immunity, diplomatic passport, diplomatic status, double murder, embassy spokesman, high court hearing, inayat, lahore high court, naveed, precise answer, raymond davis, vienna convention on consular relations, vienna convention on diplomatic relations