US calls for immediate release of Davis

SLAMABAD: The United States on Saturday called for the immediate release of a US citizen Raymond Davis, allegedly involved in killing of two local citizens in Lahore, it said was unlawfully detained by authorities, US embassy in Islamabad said.

"When detained, the US diplomat identified himself to police as a diplomat and repeatedly requested immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," it said in a statement.

It added, "Local police and senior authorities failed to observe their legal obligation to verify his status with either the US consulate general in Lahore or the US embassy in Islamabad".

"Furthermore, the diplomat was formally arrested and remanded into custody, which is a violation of international norms and the Vienna Convention, to which Pakistan is a signatory."

A third person was crushed to death by a consulate car that went to help Davis following the shooting in a busy street in the eastern city on Thursday.

"The diplomat, assigned to the US embassy in Islamabad, has a US diplomatic passport and Pakistani visa valid until June 2012," the statement said.

Recalling the events that led to Davis's arrest, it said the diplomat acted in self-defense when confronted by two armed men on motorcycles.

"The diplomat had every reason to believe that the armed men meant him bodily harm. Minutes earlier, the two men, who had criminal backgrounds, had robbed money and valuables at gunpoint from a Pakistani citizen in the same area," statement added.

The embassy expressed regret that "this incident resulted in loss of life" and said it was "committed to working closely with the Pakistani government to secure the immediate release of the diplomat, as required under Pakistani and international law".

The incident sparked several protests across the country on Friday, a sign of the anti-American sentiment because of a US drone campaign in the tribal areas.

"We greatly value the cooperation and partnership between Pakistan and the United States, which is vital to the interests of both countries," the embassy
said in its statement.