LHC reserves verdict against Davis' release

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday has reserved its verdict against an application filed regarding the release of US national Raymond Davis, who killed two Pakistanis. The application was filed by a local lawyer in which he said Fahim’s widow had refused to compromise in terms of forgiving Raymond Davis. The application said other the brother and sister of Faheem had no authority to forgive Davis. The applicant said the agreement was against the law and constitution.

Altaf expresses sorrow on Shumaila's suicide

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has expressed his sorrow over suicide Fahim’s widow Shumaila and termed the incident as a sad incident.
Faheem was killed by a US national Raymond Davis in Lahore.
In a statement issued from London, Hussain said that instead of providing justice the victim’s family is being pressurized. The MQM chief said Shumaila’s act was the result of her disappointment and another victim’s family members can also do the same if justice is not done to them.
Altaf Hussain urged the government to provide quick justice to the victims’ families.

US defends diplomat accused of killing 2 in Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The United States has again called for the release of an American diplomat accused of killing two Pakistanis, saying that he acted in legitimate self-defense.

"He is a member of the embassy's technical administrative staff and therefore entitled to full criminal immunity. He cannot be lawfully arrested or detained in accordance with the Vienna Convention," said State Department spokesman Philip Crowley on Monday.

Crowley said Washington agreed with the US employee's version of events: "In our view, he acted in self-defense, when confronted by two armed men on motorcycles."

The diplomat, Raymond Davis, "had every reason to believe that the armed men meant him bodily harm. And minutes earlier, the two men, who had criminal records, had robbed money and valuables at gunpoint from a Pakistani citizen in the same area," said Crowley.

Earlier a Pakistani lawyer called for the American who shot dead two men last week to stand trial for murder despite US legal claims of diplomatic immunity.

Local lawyer Saeed Zafar filed the petition under public interest laws, claiming that Davis must stand trial in Pakistan and should be blocked from being handed over to the US government.

The US embassy in Islamabad has claimed diplomatic immunity on behalf of Davis, described as a consulate employee, who is under investigation on double murder charges after the shooting in Lahore Thursday.

Pakistan's courts have so far refused to release the gunman.

Rhysical Remand of Raymond Davis

LAHORE: Senior judge Mehr Zafar Iqbal Sayal handed over detained US national Raymond Davis to police for a six-day physical remand.

Davis, a staff member at the US consulate in Lahore, is facing charges of shooting two persons to death in Mozang on Thursday. 

He was brought to court amid tight security arrangement. 

Moreover, the post mortem reports of the three victims who were shot and ran over by Davis in a bizarre act of shooting and hitting were released today.

According to the report, Abdul Rehman suffered head and brain injuries after being hit by Davis’s vehicle, which caused his death. 

Fahim received four bullets in his stomach, back, legs and head while the third victim, identified as Qamar, also received three bullets each in the leg, back and waist. 

Abdul Rehman's body has been handed over to his family. The other two dead bodies will also be released soon.