Colleague defended: ‘Qureshi loyal to PPP’

The Express Tribune

BAHAWALPUR: The prime minister was also quick to dismiss the notion that Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the former foreign minister, was quitting the PPP.

“He [Qureshi] is in the party, will be in it and will not do anything against the party,” said the prime minister.

Qureshi resigned from the cabinet as part of its restructuring in accordance with the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. However, he was not included in the newly reconstituted cabinet, reportedly under intense pressure from the United States government owing to Qureshi’s refusal to certify diplomatic immunity for Raymond Davis, the American citizen accused of murdering two people in Lahore.

Soon after his resignation, Qureshi began holding political gatherings criticising the performance of the PPP-led administration and appeared to be campaigning for a leadership role, though it remains unclear which office he aspires to. Qureshi is a member of the National Assembly, representing Multan. Prime Minister Gilani and Shah Mehmood Qureshi have historically been rivals, both from leading political families in Multan. The two had been able to work amiably together as cabinet colleagues until the Raymond Davis affair, when Qureshi refused to give in to American pressure to declare that Davis had diplomatic immunity.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2011.

Raymond Davis does not enjoy blanket immunity: Qureshi

Dawn

Former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

ISLAMABAD: Regarding the issue of Raymond Davis, former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday said while he was the foreign minister the US national did not enjoy full diplomatic immunity.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Qureshi said the foreign office had briefed him on January 31 that Davis did not enjoy the blanket immunity that the US was claiming for him.



Qureshi said that after studying the Vienna Conventions of 1961 and 1963 and Pakistan’s Diplomatic Law of 1972, one could conclude that “the blanket immunity as being demanded by the US embassy was not valid”.

He said that after seeing relevant documents, it was his “considered opinion” that Davis did not enjoy diplomatic immunity. He had informed the Core Committee of the Pakistan People’s Party of his view on the subject.

He said an inter-ministerial meeting had also endorsed this point of view.

Qureshi said that his stance on the Davis issue was principled and that he would stand by his position.

He said that for him Pakistan’s sovereignty and dignity were most important and that if need be he would apprise the people of Pakistan of more facts.

Qureshi, who stepped down earlier this month during a Cabinet reshuffle but retains influence, reiterated this stance after a meeting with Chairman US Foreign Relations Committee John Kerry — an indication that the American politician may have a rocky time convincing Pakistan to free 36-year-old Raymond Davis, a US consulate employee who shot and killed two Pakistani men in Lahore last month in what he said was a robbery attempt.

He said he kept quiet on the Davis case earlier upon instructions from the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), but implied that his stance on the matter had cost him his job. A new foreign minister has not yet been appointed.

Whether I have a ministry or not, I will always remain with the PPP, Qureshi told reporters. To a question, he said it was the prerogative of the party leadership to choose the person to head any ministry and acknowledged that he was offered the Ministry of Water and Power.

Qureshi said the party leadership’s decision on the Davis subject was that as the issue was sub judice, it would be decided by the courts. The same stance was taken by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in his statement made at the floor of the National Assembly on February 3.

Regarding his meeting with US Senator John Kerry earlier in the day, Qureshi said he had informed Kerry about his stance.

He further said that the United States should realize the sacrifices that Pakistan has made in the war against terror. He said both Pakistan and the United States needed each other’s cooperation.

Qureshi fired from ministry to change record of Davis: Saeed

Sananews

LAHORE, (SANA): Amir Jamaatud Dawa Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has said that former foreign minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi was fired from his ministry because he had refused to change the record of Raymond Davis, killer of two Pakistani nationals.

This he said in a statement issued here on Tuesday, adding that after the statement of Shah Mehmood Qureshi that “Davis was not a diplomat” it has been clear that there is no importance of PPP Information Secretary Fauzia Wahab statements regarding the case of Davis.

Hafiz Saeed said that the statement of Fauzia Wahab saying that Raymond enjoys diplomatic immunity is like rubbing salt over the wounds of Pakistanis.

He asked the political and religious parties to launch a joint movement like Tehreek-e-Namoos-e-Risalat (PBUH) against the possible release of Davis.

He said that if the government dared to release Raymond Davis millions of Pakistanis would come out on the roads, adding that it would not be possible for government to control the protesting Pakistanis.
He said that it has been proved that Raymond was not a diplomat; instead of this he is a agent of “Black Water”, adding that instead of the fact the rulers for pleasing their foreign masters are putting the dignity of the nation at stake.

He urged the political and religious parties to put pressure on government for punishing the killer of two Pakistanis according to the law of the land.

He said that the rulers should sought the blessings of Allah Almighty; instead of pleasing American rulers.

He said that the government should fulfill its duty for provision of justice to the heirs of the deceased Pakistanis, adding that the nation demands that Davis should be hanged.