LHC Moved to Disarm US Diplomats and Marines

[deathfromabove]

LAHORE, Pakistan, 7 November 2009 (The News) – The Lahore High Court [LHC] on Friday directed the Interior Ministry and the Inspector General Police, Islamabad, to file reply by November 20 [2009] on a petition seeking to disarm the U.S. diplomats, officials in Pakistan, besides registration of criminal cases against those found involved in spying and other anti-state acts in violation of diplomatic codes and the laws of the land, who were caught red-handed but released on the pressure of the Interior Ministry.

The petitioner, Hashim Shaukat Khan, Punjab President of Pakistan Watan Party, through his counsel Barrister Zafarullah, cited several incidents when the U.S., Dutch and other foreigners were caught roaming in Islamabad and other cities armed with dangerous weapons and spying instruments, but were released on the orders of the Interior Ministry without any legal action against them. In a few incidents, they even beat up Pakistani citizens and misbehaved with the people, he added.

He pointed out that 202 members of Blackwater had landed at Islamabad airport in a PIA flight but the Interior Minister , on the American pressure, let them go without going through the process of custom clearance. He said these people should be charged with anti-terrorism and other [Pakistani and United Nations international] laws.

He said, even under the Constitution of Pakistan and Article 29 of the Vienna Convention 1961, the diplomats did not enjoy any immunity for criminal activities; rather they should be ousted from the country after declaring them persona-non-grata. He said the provision of security to all foreign diplomats is the responsibility of the Pakistan Government and no private foreign company could do so.

He sought directions for the registration of criminal cases against all foreign nationals who were apprehended with illegal weapons. He also requested that the list of all Americans and Dutch who are working in Pakistan, including workers of both the embassies and security staff, should be brought to the notice of the court.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=207162

 

[Solomon2]

Congress of Vienna, 1815: diplomatic couriers are allowed to be armed. Furthermore, since a country's embassy is sovereign territory, it's nationals within the embassy grounds are also permitted arms.

I suspect any Pakistani advocating the disarmament of U.S. personnel of plotting another 1979-style takeover of the U.S. embassy. (After all, its already been burnt down once.) The 1979 takeover was very successful at poisoning U.S.-Iran relations, destroying Iranian democracy, and destroying a U.S. president. I don't doubt that there are people out there hoping for a repeat.

 

[deathfromabove]

Congress of Vienna, 1815: diplomatic couriers are allowed to be armed. Furthermore, since a country's embassy is sovereign territory, it's nationals within the embassy grounds are also permitted arms.

I suspect any Pakistani advocating the disarmament of U.S. personnel of plotting another 1979-style takeover of the U.S. embassy. (After all, its already been burnt down once.) The 1979 takeover was very successful at poisoning U.S.-Iran relations, destroying Iranian democracy, and destroying a U.S. president. I don't doubt that there are people out there hoping for a repeat.

I guess I have to highlight the issues in my original post plus I'm referring to Vienna Convention of 1961. Nor can I find any reference about allowing arms to diplomatic couriers in Congress of Vienna 1815, i.e. within the extraterritorial building / area not roaming on streets.

 

[Aslan]

Congress of Vienna, 1815: diplomatic couriers are allowed to be armed. Furthermore, since a country's embassy is sovereign territory, it's nationals within the embassy grounds are also permitted arms.

I suspect any Pakistani advocating the disarmament of U.S. personnel of plotting another 1979-style takeover of the U.S. embassy. (After all, its already been burnt down once.) The 1979 takeover was very successful at poisoning U.S.-Iran relations, destroying Iranian democracy, and destroying a U.S. president. I don't doubt that there are people out there hoping for a repeat.

Now if you go back and read the article it clearly says that they have been caught roaming in the city with the arms and spying gadgets.

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

I suspect any Pakistani advocating the disarmament of U.S. personnel of plotting another 1979-style takeover of the U.S. embassy. (After all, its already been burnt down once.) The 1979 takeover was very successful at poisoning U.S.-Iran relations, destroying Iranian democracy, and destroying a U.S. president. I don't doubt that there are people out there hoping for a repeat.

So the armed men are here to protect the US embacy in case of an Islamic Revolution breaks out in Pakistan .

 

[deathfromabove]

Excerpt Article 37 from Vienna Convention 1961:
Members of the administrative and technical staff of the mission, together with members of their families forming part of their respective households, shall, if they are not nationals of or permanently resident in the receiving State, enjoy the privileges and immunities specified in articles 29 to 35, except that the immunity from civil and administrative jurisdiction of the receiving State specified in paragraph 1 of article 31 shall not extend to acts performed outside the course of their duties.

However, they do enjoy immunity from criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State, i.e. of course pertains to acts performed within the course of their duties.

Excerpt Article 38 from Vienna Convention 1961:
Except insofar as additional privileges and immunities may be granted by the receiving State, a diplomatic agent who is a national of or permanently resident in that State shall enjoy only immunity from jurisdiction, and inviolability, in respect of official acts performed in the exercise of his functions.

 

[Absar]

Congress of Vienna, 1815: diplomatic couriers are allowed to be armed. Furthermore, since a country's embassy is sovereign territory, it's nationals within the embassy grounds are also permitted arms.

I suspect any Pakistani advocating the disarmament of U.S. personnel of plotting another 1979-style takeover of the U.S. embassy. (After all, its already been burnt down once.) The 1979 takeover was very successful at poisoning U.S.-Iran relations, destroying Iranian democracy, and destroying a U.S. president. I don't doubt that there are people out there hoping for a repeat.

I wonder why would you try to justify unacceptable things always?
As one Pakistani Journalist asked Ms. Devil Clinton: Would you allow Pakistani Diplomats to stroll on the Streets of Washington, with arms, at 3 AM?? A simple No, right?

We need not to hear things that are apparently unacceptable. A right is a right, not a wrong. A wrong is a wrong, not a right. No matter how much one tries to justify under numerous pretexts. It remains what it's, by nature, by rules and by ethics. They, the Diplomats, need to follow the rules of the state, or else I strictly believe LHC or even SC should take a move to boot those idiots -- the law breachers and drunkards -- out of Pakistan very badly

 

[Vassnti]

Perhaps Hashim Shaukat Khan thinks if he beats the anti-american drum he might manage more than 0.3% of the vote next time.

After he finishes his crusade against bottled water he can claim to have driven the US out of Pakistan?

 

[Absar]

Perhaps Hashim Shaukat Khan thinks if he beats the anti-american drum he might manage more than 0.3% of the vote next time.

After he finishes his crusade against bottled water he can claim to have driven the US out of Pakistan?

Wrong, absolutely wrong!!

There are number of more prominent politicians in Pakistan than Hashim (a really low profile politician) who, on often basis, keep denouncing American idiotic strategies and maneuvering, but they're still unable to increase their vote bank after ages in politics. It includes Imran Khan and Qazi Hussain Ahmed's party.

 

[Solomon2]

Would you allow Pakistani Diplomats to stroll on the Streets of Washington, with arms, at 3 AM?? A simple No, right?

I doubt you'd believe my answer! For now, I'm most interested in what the Interior Ministry and the Inspector General Police will say in their responses.