ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani suggested Wednesday that relatives of two Pakistani men shot dead by a US official might pardon the American, but also said it was for a court to decide the man's fate. The comments came as US Senator John Kerry visited the country to hold talks with Pakistani leaders aimed at resolving a bitter diplomatic row over Raymond Davis, who shot the two men in a busy Lahore street on Jan. 27. Pakistan's fragile ties with the United States have been plunged into crisis by the shooting. Davis has insisted he acted in self-defense. Speaking to a convention of religious scholars, Gilani stressed the role of the courts in deciding whether Davis, who is in Pakistani custody, has a right to diplomatic immunity. “Davis also has a lawyer, he will present his case and then the court will decide whether he has immunity or not,” the official Associated Press of Pakistan quoted Gilani as saying. However, Gilani also asked the scholars to help find a solution to the sensitive issue in accordance with Islamic law, under which a victim's family can pardon a killer in return for compensation. “Ulema (Islamic scholars) should tell the solution. Either the heirs should give a pardon or ask about ‘Qisas' (compensation) or the court should decide. We don't have any role,” APP quoted him as saying. Gilani told the religious scholars the government was caught between a public backlash and international anger. “We are facing difficult decisions. There is a political price,” Gilani said. “We are just caught between the devil and the deep sea. This needs wisdom,” he said. – Agence France
