LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — The wife of a Pakistani man shot and killed by a U.S. official tried to commit suicide by eating rat poison Sunday, explaining that she was driven to act by fears the American would be freed without trial, a doctor said.
The United States has demanded that Pakistani authorities release the American, saying he shot and killed two armed men in self-defense when they attempted to rob him as he drove his car in the eastern city of Lahore. He was arrested on Jan. 27, and the United States has said he has diplomatic immunity and is being illegally detained.
The shootings have stoked anti-American sentiment in Pakistan, feelings that could be further inflamed by Shumaila Kanwal’s suicide attempt, especially if she dies. Her condition was deteriorating steadily after she ingested the rat poison, said Dr. Ali Naqi, who is treating her in Faisalabad city.
“I do not expect any justice from this government,” said Mrs. Kanwal in a statement recorded by the doctor. “That is why I want to kill myself.”
Mrs. Kanwal also spoke to reporters after arriving at the hospital, saying, “I want blood for blood.”
“The way my husband was shot, his killer should be shot in the same fashion,” she said.
The case puts Pakistan’s government in a difficult position. The government relies on the United States for billions of dollars in aid but is wary of being seen as doing Washington’s bidding. The United States is widely unpopular in Pakistan, in part because of its undeclared campaign of drone missile strikes along the northwest border with Afghanistan.
The government could face charges of being an American lackey if it hands Raymond Davis over to the United States. But refusing to do so risks harming a relationship with a vital ally.
Pakistani officials have avoided definitive statements on Mr. Davis’ level of diplomatic clearance and whether he qualifies for immunity.
Federal officials have said the decision on his fate is up to courts in Punjab province, where the shootings occurred. But provincial officials have said the federal government must decide whether Mr. Davis has immunity. The two governments are controlled by rival political parties, further complicating the case.
Besides the two men who were shot dead, a bystander also was killed when he was struck by an American car rushing to the scene to help Mr. Davis. Police have said they want to question the Americans suspected in that death as well.
Relatives of the men who were allegedly shot by Mr. Davis have participated in several protests in Lahore, including one Thursday outside the U.S. Consulate, where demonstrators shouted, “Hang the American killer!”
Some commentators have tried to paint the two men as innocent Pakistanis rather than thieves who were attempting to rob Mr. Davis. But the U.S. Embassy has said the men had criminal backgrounds and had robbed money and valuables at gunpoint from a Pakistani in the same area minutes before the shootings.
Associated Press writer Asif Shahzad contributed to this report from Islamabad, Pakistan.
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