It’s not a rumour, Americans did get Qureshi’s scalp
by Mohammed Malick – 12th Feb 2011 – The News
ISLAMABAD: When powerful men meet to discuss explosive issues, things can change in a big way. And that is precisely what happened after a highly secretive and immensely important meeting at the Presidency a few days back. The subject, not unexpectedly, being the fate of American killer Raymond Davis and that of Pakistan-US relations. Little did anyone know at the time that the huddle would instead end up deciding the fate of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
The meeting, convened by the president was attended by Prime Minister Gilani, Babar Awan, Rehman Malik, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and the DG ISI Gen Shuja Pasha. The president was given an exhaustive overview of the entire situation but quite early in the meeting it became evident that two of the men were standing on the wrong side of the prevalent dominant wisdom and desire of somehow finding a way to retrospectively cough up diplomatic immunity for Davis and to just wish away all the four deaths and the lingering crisis. But since one of the ‘erring’ two dared not be arbitrarily fired, poor Qureshi’s fate stood sealed.
Extreme pressure was exerted in the meeting on the former foreign minister to renege from his earlier stance and simply tell the court that the Foreign Office was in consonance with the American interpretation of Davis being a genuine diplomat and enjoying full immunity under Vienna Convention 1961. Facts be damned. According to highly reliable sources, interior ministry’s immense resources were also offered to cause any necessary change of documentation or any exceptional service warranted under these exceptional circumstances.
An adamant Qureshi, who had strongly argued the case that Raymond did not enjoy unlimited diplomatic immunity under law, flatly refused and even said that if need be, he’d rather resign than become an accessory to multiple murder. The meeting ended on a rather unsavoury and unexpected note. It was a surprising outcome for all the others because Qureshi had always been perceived, and even pilloried by the media, as being an American lackey and was not expected to dig in his heels over an issue so vital for the US administration.
But Qureshi’s latest run in with the Americans did not begin or end inside the Presidency. It had actually begun much earlier on January 28, a day after the deadly Raymond Davis incident in Lahore. He was in Karachi when he first received a call from US Ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter and then had a conversation with US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Munter requested him for immediate councillor access to Davis and his immediate handover to US Consulate authorities. Qureshi asked Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir to talk to Munter and while authorising immediate councillor access to Davis made it clear to the foreign secretary that the matter of release would only be decided by the court as the legal process had already been kicked into motion in Punjab. Then came Hillary’s call.
An understandably perturbed Hillary wanted the immediate handover of Davis and insisted that Pakistan was violating the Vienna Convention by the illegal incarceration of a “US diplomat”. Confirming the contents of that conversation to The News, Shah Mehmood said that he had patiently explained to Hillary that while he understood her anxiety she too had to understand the highly emotive and sensitive nature of the incident. And also that since the judicial process had been kick-started in Lahore, the Foreign Office and the US had little option but to submit to the due process of law. Anyway, the two decided to discuss the matter on the sidelines of the then forthcoming Munich Security Conference, and the line went silent.
Since then, Ambassador Munter and other senior embassy officials remained busy with engaging Pakistani authorities and the Foreign Office, blowing hot or cold, depending upon the level of their own frustration and the pressure coming their way from Washington. A few days prior to the Munich Conference, Qureshi received a call from Ambassador Munter who said that he had been directed to convey the message that unless Qureshi signed the diplomatic immunity paper prior to the conference, the scheduled meeting between him and Hillary would stand cancelled. The message was starkly clear a la George Bush: You are either with us or against us. So be it, Qureshi is reported to have told the ambassador and even cancelled his trip altogether. The chief of the army staff went instead to Munich and that is an appointment that even the US secretary of state cannot cancel, Davis or no Davis.
Once Qureshi ignored the latest Hillary communique, the Americans stopped talking to him altogether because it had now become evident that Qureshi was not going to budge on his stance of Davis not being eligible for full diplomatic immunity. Qureshi was no longer a welcome dinner guest and neither could he be allowed to remain in office. The last thing Washington can afford is his having a Pakistani foreign minister with a reawakened conscience.
According to highly reliable sources, the next claimed scalp may be that of the equally intransigent (from American perspective), Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir who is now the only remaining top level hurdle in the apprehended shameless handover of Davis by a compromised political leadership. The foreign secretary is also of the considered firm view that Davis does not qualify for full immunity. And there are legitimate causes for this argument, which were further exposed by glaring inconsistencies in the forever changing US stance on the issue.
Owing to the paucity of space, irrefutable arguments proving Davis’ ineligibility are not being reproduced here and also because a lot has already been written on the legal aspects of the subject, including the highlighted fact that in the initial reaction by US authorities, Raymond Davis was identified as merely an “employee” of the US Consulate in Lahore, but never as a diplomat. He was referred to as an employee and not a consulate general official. “It was a simple clerical error” was the incredulous justification offered by two senior members of the Islamabad embassy in an off-the-record conversation with the scribe. But it gets even better.
A lot is being made by the Americans and their interlocutors of the January 20, 2010 communication of the Islamabad embassy wherein the FO had been asked for the issuance of a non-diplomatic identity card for Davis. It is being argued that this communication clearly identifies Raymond Davis as being administrative and technical staff of Islamabad embassy and therefore automatically eligible for diplomatic immunity. But this is only half the story.
Certain discrepancies in 2010 had already caused the Foreign Office to seek clarifications. In Sept 2009, the US State Department had originally identified him as technical advisor (contractor) going on “official business” while applying for his visa. Later he was attached to US Consulate Lahore as an employee. So when his name popped up again in January 2010, identifying him as being attached with the US Embassy Islamabad, the FO wanted answers to some very pertinent questions. The relevant FO officials repeatedly asked the US embassy to provide the details of Davis’ new responsibilities along with those of his past postings. When weeks had passed with the embassy avoiding a categorical clarification on this count, the FO finally sent a formal Note Verbale to the US embassy on July 8, 2010. It bore ref no: P(1-A)/2009-ID(USA). This note pertained to a total of ten Americans about whom similar details were being sought from the embassy but no response had been forthcoming from the US end. Davis was listed as Note No:252/HR. When FO authorities were asked about the presence of 2009 in the reference number of the note verbale otherwise sent on July 8, 2010, they clarified that it was perfectly in accordance with their internal filing sequence and did not reflect any anomaly.
Unable to cover this critical gap in their argument to secure Davis’ release on the afterthought alibi of diplomatic immunity, the US embassy has adopted the rather incredulous argument of denying outright the existence of this critical correspondence. The FO has been told at the highest level that the US embassy never received this Note Verbale. The two senior functionaries stuck to the denial mantra when asked by The News about the embassy’s refusal to divulge the real assignments and other details of Davis and nine others. They insisted that all the embassy records had been thoroughly checked but there was no evidence of the cited note verbale ever being received. When they were told that the July 8 note was present in FO records and its existence and its having been sent to US embassy was recorded in more than one place and constituted a process that could not be tampered with within hours of an event taking place, the duo took the reference number of the ‘missing note’ to ostensibly try locating it from their records. This raises an interesting question: if they still needed the reference number at this stage, then how did they even check their records earlier?
Can you name a single other incidence where prior to this particular note verbale or since, any note verbale sent by FO to the US embassy has ever gone missing? the two functionaries were asked. Not surprisingly, the duo could not cite a single such incidence.
Interesting coincidence one must say, where the entire US administration makes critical clerical errors which only expose Davis as being a non-diplomat. Another interesting coincidence again, when only one specific official communication out of hundreds of similar exchanges goes missing, and which once again stood to expose Raymond Davis for being anything but a legitimate diplomat on a legitimate diplomatic assignment.
Comments
25 responses to “US in a total Diplomatic fallout over Raymond Davis”
Thank you for sharing and I am all full of praises for Mr Qureshi and foreign office to take this stand .
At least someone had the character and strength to take a stand.
Madam Clinton could not save Mr.Mubarak she would not be able to save Zardari if Raymond Davis left.
————
Also Madam Clinton should realise this is the last straw which will break the back of cammel.
It is not a diplomatic issue ,it is an issue where USA used
our army to fight Afghanis ,to sold Pakistanis and to open
fire arms on our own mosque in the capital city killing hundreds but this is the end game.
Pakistani Public does not understand diplomatic relations and to them USA is a bully who kills us and enslaves us through IMF and world bank .
USA ust appologise and ask for release in exchange of Dr Afia .Maybe that will be the way forward.The ball is in Clinton's court .
So Raymond Left.
It never needed a scince to understand that this was comming up. I did mention it at my http://omertoor.wordpress.com/
Take a look
This is an imbroglio par
excellence as portrayed by Ghalib
in a couplet of his:
دام ہر موج میں ہے حلقہ صد کام نہنگ
دیکھیں کیا گزرے ہے قطرے پہ گہر ہونے تک
From Qadri, the 'Ghazi' to Raymond
, the Yanky 'murderer', there is a
metamorphosis, in a short
succession, which boggles one's
mind. It is imbroglio involving
blasphemy against the prophet and
that against the Yanky 'Super
Power'. History and humanity are
watching with 'angusht-badandaan'
what happens 'Qatre ke guhur hone
tak'.
Now it is clear that those two guys belongs to intelligence agency and Pakistan army is behind the arrest, detainment and the whole legal procedure. It is funny to see the Mehmood Qureshi sacrificing his ministry and affiliation just because of "principals"? and Punjab govt accepting no American pressure..come on
The one thing is clear that if you are not working for Pakistan Army then you are not a recognized citizen of Pakistan.
Any way I think it is a good thing if army is backing Nawaz and Qureshi.Some one somewhere is standing up for Pakistan.
and MrRaymond was nt planted by Pakistanis to kill
Dr. Sahib be rational and don't argue on the basis of mere grudge or ill-intention.
It sure would not have been a GRUDGE or Ill Intention!
If Murdered Men were Brother of Anyone of us. Close your eyes and consider the situation as it happened with your own family. If you could still justify the Act, I ll be the first one to support you.
God Bless pakistan
@ Umar
First read the context then come up with your opinion. There is not justification for the act Raymond has committed. I was seconding the Farah's observation and referring to Dr.Jawwad following satirical comments aimed at Pakistan Army and Shah Memhmmod Qureshi:
"The one thing is clear that if you are not working for Pakistan Army then you are not a recognized citizen of Pakistan."
and
"Now it is clear that those two guys belongs to intelligence agency and Pakistan army is behind the arrest, detainment and the whole legal procedure. It is funny to see the Mehmood Qureshi sacrificing his ministry and affiliation just because of “principals”?
Hopes it might clear a bit
@SHOAIB
Thanks Shoaib!
I somehow mixed up the context! Sorry Bro
:)Thanks
Mumtaz Qadri is a Pakistani hero. We love Mumtaz Qadri.
The punishment of blasphemy is nothing but a death.plain and simple..
But what is the punishment for
murder, plain and simple?
Garlanding the culprit,in your
cult, perhaps?
But what is the punishment for
murder, plain and simple?
_______________________________
Dear readinglord!
I didn't make the rules. Ask Allah(swt)
My cult is cult of Pakistan.It is cult of constitution of Pakistan. Its a cult of love for most revered and last prophet of Islam.
"I didn’t make the rules. Ask Allah(swt)"
This is the biggest blasphemy I have come across. This gentleman goes one up, blaspheming against The One, The Last, The Innermost and The Outermost. Where exactly has the Creator of the Universe, and everything that exists therein, has given any indication of endorsing the false ideas dreamed up this gentleman's fevered imagination?
وہ مذہب مردان خود آگاہ و خدا مست
یہ مذہب ملا و جمادات و نباتات
Are we talking about Raymond Davis and Pakistani politics or blasphemy?
Who are these guys???? Their impenitent insist on the notion that in Islam every crime is forgivable because Islam is a religion of peace….what a freak world it is?
Why get bullied?
Why PK is not asking US to waive immunity,if it exist, and lets court decide whether it was a self defence or just plain killing of 3 citizens?
Lets see how law abiding they are ?
Few simple questions:
1. What would have the Americans done if any of our diplomats had committed two murders on the road in front of scores of people in Washington DC?
2. Where in the world are the “diplomats” taught accurate firing techniques and trained with the best ammunition in the world? Where in the world are they trained to use accurate spycams and carry up linking equipment while on the move?
3. Is there anyone in the USA please, who could tell us the real identity of this man? If the ID is fake, he cannot be granted any immunity under any law (as discussed by one of the commentators above)
4. Where is the driver and the accomplices who killed the third innocent guy while trying to reach to Raymond’s car from the wrong side of the road? Hiding in US consulate? Great that the Americans hire drivers as diplomats as well!
Pakistani leaders – don’t let this guy go! Intelligence agencies – please get to his real identity!
Letting him go will be a Waterloo for the leaders in Pakistan!
Goog article by Malick.
I perceive Raymond Davis is proving to be a "Screening Test" for the sycophant politicians and journalists.
Though disturbing as well, but literally, everybody is revealed.
Quraishi accused of being a lackey as mentioned by the author too,perhaps was tested to the limit and Davis turned out to be a case even he couldn't compromise on.
Now I have faith Raymond Davis will make unforgettable defining moment in Pakistan history.This case is not going to settle as easily as the US or Zardari loyals might have thought.
Please write more over the issue to let the global village know that it will be unjust to let a murderer go away regardless of what ever immunity. I believe, such immunities would have been trashed if case would have been vise versa!
or Lets take a look at the case of AFIA!
Protest at 3:30 Pm, Friday, Foreign Office, Islamabad
Journalist Corruption Scandal – Mohammad Malick
June 3, 2009 http://pkpolitics.com/2009/06/03/journalist-corru…
Hamid Mir & GEO TV Supported Lal Masjid Operation. (Dunya TV 15 Feb 2011) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTkrOW0krd4
God bless you Mr Malik. Truth fears no fall. There are so many Davis roaming in the Pakistani streets. They are linked with the bomb blast over the country. Take care for the Pakistan live and die for Pakistan.. Amazing Hillary says " American cannot win the war in Afghanistan without Pakistan help. So what allied forces are doing last 9 years. Are you planning another game????? AS YOU SOW SO SHALL YOU REAP.
This article is amazingly informative. This better be spreaded in all modes so people may read and think. I am surprised of calm n quite attitude of public. How can we still sit in drawing rooms and watch TV to discuss issues in kitchen.
Please join hands to register our concerns over The Case of a Murder.
Please Take a look at omertoor.blogspot.com
We Are Muslim and Islam is our deen mean ("A Way Of Life ").
If we have any problem face by society system or politic system.
If We want to solve this problem by use Only those method Which told In Quran Majeed and other way our Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H).
Please don't decide solution of any problem by own-self only use this way.
1-Quran Majeed
2-Prophet(P.B.U.H)
Diplomat or not, the US likes to kill brown people, especially if they are Muslim.
this is serious stuff — Not a peak from local media outlets on this story.
Awab has the story been carried by other international news outlets, such as BBC, CNN internationa l(that we don't get here in the states) ?