Islamabad: The Pakistan Government will inform the Lahore High Court on Monday that double murder-accused US official Raymond Davis does not possess blanket immunity, sources have said.
The LHC will resume its hearing on Monday on petitions against the possible handover of Davis to US authorities after a break of three weeks sought by the government to file a reply.
After an initial analysis of the Vienna Convention, the law of the land and international law practices relating to diplomatic immunity, the Pakistan People’s Party-led federal government has taken the legal position that Davis lacks blanket criminal diplomatic immunity, well-placed sources told The Nation.
“Raymond Davis has no diplomatic visa, therefore, the US’ claim of criminal immunity is invalid,” the sources said, adding that Davis has no diplomatic card as per the Blue Book (protocol manual) of Pakistan’s Foreign Office.
Meanwhile, the US, which maintains that Davis is a member of the "technical and administrative staff" at the US embassy in Islamabad, and is "entitled to full criminal immunity in accordance with the Vienna Convention", is closely monitoring the situation.
“We are waiting for the Lahore High Court’s decision,” said the US embassy’s official spokesperson, when asked whether there were any senior US government officials planning unscheduled visit to Pakistan either on Sunday or Monday.
ANI
