Islamabad, Feb. 8: The United States is getting tougher with Pakistan with each passing day to ensure release of its diplomat, Mr Raymond Davis, being tried in Lahore for gunning down two men in Lahore.
A senior government official told this newspaper that the US has warned Pakistan of “grave consequences” if Mr Davis was not released.
“The US wants Davis’ release at all costs. The message has been sent loud and clear to Islamabad,” he added.
The US has also suspended all high-level dialogue with Pakistan over the case of the US national.
The case of Mr Davis, who has admitted he fatally shot two Pakistanis while he was driving in Lahore on January 27, has severely strained relations between the two governments and threatens to scuttle a planned summit among US, Afghan and Pakistani leaders scheduled for the end of this month in Washington.
The Secretary of State, Ms Hillary Rodham Clinton, cancelled a meeting last weekend with Pakistani foreign minister, Mr Shah Mehmood Qureshi, at an international security conference in Munich to protest Mr Davis’ detention.
The Obama administration has twice summoned Pakistani Ambassador, Mr Husain Haqqani, to the White House for formal complaints.