Pakistan rejects US demand for Raymond Davis’s release

ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan government has reportedly rejected the United States’ calls for the release of a US consular employee charged of killing two Pakistani men in Lahore.

Raymond Davis, an American citizen, is currently on a six-day remand after he was produced in a Lahore court.

Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit said that the matter was sub judice in a court of law and the legal process should be respected.

Meanwhile, Presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar quashed the impression that the government was under pressure from the US.

“It is wrong to say that at this stage the government has decided to send Davis to the US. The government will not sit quiet on the shooting of our nationals,” the Dawn quoted Babar, as saying.

“The law will take its own course and investigations are still going on. Legal process will be observed and respected,” he added.

Earlier, on January 27, three people were killed when Davis opened fire on motorcycle riders and hit another with his car in an attempt to escape from the scene at Mazang Chowk in Lahore.

Both the injured were shifted to Services Hospital where they were pronounced dead, while the third motorcyclist, who was also injured when hit by the speeding car, succumbed to his wounds during treatment in Services Hospital.

Davis, who was identified as a technical adviser with the US consulate, had told police that he shot the pillion riders in self-defence after they pulled a pistol on him in an attempted robbery. (ANI)