As the US toughened its stance for the release of its citizen who killed two persons in Lahore, Pakistan's government has been reluctant to publicly reveal the true status of the killer, saying the matter is sub-judice. Washington has once again called upon Pakistan's government to abide by its obligations under international and Pakistani law and immediately release Raymond Davis who gunned down two persons in Lahore's crowded marketplace on 26 January. The US authorities have repeatedly claimed that the murderer enjoys diplomatic immunities under the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations. Reeling under pressure, the external affairs ministry has refused to be publicly drawn into the controversy of American murderer Raymond Davis. Pakistan's foreign office spokesperson Abdul Basit said, "I am not in a position to comment in the Lahore incident. I do not have any information to share at this stage when the matter is sub judice before the court." However sources within the government are saying that Raymond Davis' diplomatic status was dubious and Pakistan's foreign office had not issued the 'diplomatic card' to Raymond Davis, a US consular employee in Lahore. Some of the questions frequently asked by media persons from government officials are: How many more Americans like Raymond Davis are present in Pakistan? Does the foreign office keep a record of such people? Why the foreign office is not clarifying its position on the status of Raymond Davis? Has the driver who killed the third person while rushing to rescue Davis left Pakistan? Officials of the internal and external affairs ministries have so far failed to address these queries. Meanwhile, every day a new petition is filed against US citizen in Lahore's district, sessions and High Court. A writ petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday, seeking directions that the government prosecute Davis for allegedly committing forgery. One of the petitioners, Barrister Iqbal Jafree, submitted that Davis had obtained a visa under a false name, which made the whole process doubtful and his visa stood cancelled ab initio (from the beginning). Yet another petition was filed in the LHC, challenging the alleged special treatment being given to Davis. A local court in Lahore has already extended Davis's physical remand to another eight days as police investigators into the double murder case have not found the murderer's claim of self-defence convincing. According to the investigators, Davis's act was an excessive and disproportionate use of force, which was against the definition of self-defence as per the law of the land. Without having been fired at or threatened to death, the police sources said, Davis killed the two young men by excessive and disproportionate use of force. While requesting to extend his remand, the investigation officer Munir Ahmed told the court that they are anxious to get answers from the killer to questions like who did he call for help after committing a crime? Why did he gun down the two men without having being fired at? Who was in the back-up vehicle that killed another young man? What was he doing there? Why was he carrying illegal weapon, global positioning system, four magazines, more than 70 bullets, pictures of sensitive installations? What was his assignment in Pakistan? What was his real identity? And so on.
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