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A Pakistani court Thursday delayed until next month a hearing into the diplomatic immunity of an American who killed two local men, a case that has severely strained ties between Islamabad and Washington. The postponement to March 14 will likely cause exasperation in Washington, where the Obama administration has urged Pakistan to free consular employee Raymond Davis and avoid a precedent being set for trials of US officials abroad. The High Court, in the city of Lahore, granted a government request to postpone the hearing on whether Davis, a former Special Forces soldier who shot and killed two men January 27, is protected by diplomatic immunity. Davis has claimed he was acting in self-defense during an armed robbery in the city. Pakistan is an important US ally in the fight against Islamist militants along the border with Afghanistan. Yet the government of President Asif Ali Zardari is reluctant to ignite popular fury in a case that has galvanized anti-American sentiment. Pakistani lawyers who want Davis prosecuted argue that diplomatic immunity should not apply in cases of grave crimes. Many Pakistanis remain suspicious about why Davis, who reportedly worked for a security contractor, was carrying loaded weapons and a GPS satellite tracking device. Agencies |
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