PPP appears to soften over Davis

Published February 14, 2011

Raymond Davis, an American national who killed two Pakistanis in Lahore. — Photo by Reuters

KARACHI: A spokeswoman for Pakistan's main ruling party on Monday moved to dilute anger over a US official accused of murdering two Pakistanis, saying diplomats have immunity and that he had an official visa.

Pakistan's ties with the United States have gone into crisis since police arrested Raymond Davis, who confessed to killing two men in self-defence on a busy street in the eastern city of Lahore on January 27.

Washington supports his claim and says he is a diplomat who should be released immediately in keeping with international law.

“We have always abided by international laws and conventions,” Pakistan People's Party (PPP) spokeswoman Fauzia Wahab told reporters in Karachi.

“Davis has an official business visa, so why argue and why we are risking our overall good reputation before the rest of the world?”

“America is the largest market for Pakistan, with whom we earn four billion dollars. Most Pakistanis who live in the United States send bulk of remittances to us to support our economy,” said Wahab.

Opinion

Editorial

Falling temperatures
Updated 04 Jan, 2025

Falling temperatures

Vitally important for stakeholders to acknowledge, understand politicians can still challenge opposing parties’ narratives without also being in a constant state of war with each other.
Agriculture census
04 Jan, 2025

Agriculture census

ACCURATE information relating to agricultural activities is vital for data-driven future planning, policymaking, as...
Biometrics for kids
04 Jan, 2025

Biometrics for kids

ALTHOUGH the move has caused a panic among weary parents mortified at the thought of carting their children to Nadra...
Kurram peace deal
03 Jan, 2025

Kurram peace deal

It is the state’s responsibility to ensure that people of all sects can travel to and from the district without fear.
Pension reform
03 Jan, 2025

Pension reform

THE federal government has finally implemented several parametric reforms introduced in the last two budgets to...
The Indian hand
03 Jan, 2025

The Indian hand

OFFICIALS of the Modi regime were operating under a rather warped sense of reality, playing out Bollywood fantasies...