Do not allow Davis case to affect US-Pak ties: Advocacy group

A Pak advocacy group asked Obama admn not to let Davis case affect the ties.

Washington: A US-based Pakistani advocacy
group has asked lawmakers and officials of the Obama
administration not to let the case of an American arrested in
Lahore for double murder affect the crucial bilateral ties.

In a statement, the Council on Pakistan Relations (CPR)
commended Republican and Democratic leaders for their support
to Pakistan in the midst of the controversy surrounding
Raymond Davis, an American official arrested in Lahore on
January 27 after he shot and killed to men he claimed were
trying to rob him.
"I am highly encouraged that Congressional leaders are
keeping a cool head in this heated moment," CPR Chairman
Ashraf Qazi said.

The Davis situation is "very unfortunate" but the
relationship between the US and Pakistan "is too broad and
deep to allow this incident to harm this crucial alliance," he
said.

On Thursday, Lindsay Graham, the top Republican on the
Senate subcommittee overseeing aid to Pakistan, opposed
rollback of foreign aid, and said "our relationship`s got to
be bigger than this," referring to suggestions that the US cut.
Republican Representative Kay Granger said: "I am
convinced it is counter-productive to use US aid as leverage
and I believe it would hurt rather than help the situation to
withhold funds."

Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, who just returned from Pakistan, in part,
hoped to help resolve the issue, the CPR said.

"We are hopeful that our two countries will resolve this
issue through diplomacy. But we cannot lose focus on the
economic needs of the country that is stretched for
resources," Qazi said.

"Pakistan is a country in deep distress and has suffered
much while being an important ally with the US in the war on
terror and we must take an effective approach to demonstrate
US` long term-commitment to Pakistan," he said.

The Council on Pakistan Relations is a pro-America,
pro-Pakistan, not-for-profit, independent, advocacy
organisation.

PTI

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