US, Pak at odds over identity of consulate worker charged with Lahore double murder

Washington, Jan 28(ANI): Though the US State Department and Pakistani officials are at odds over the identity of a US consular employee charged of killing two Pakistani men in Lahore, sources identified the accused as Raymond Davis, a private security officer.

On Thursday, three people were killed when the American national opened fire on two motorcycle riders and hit another with his car in an attempt to escape from the scene at Mazang Chowk in Lahore.

The accused, who was identified as a technical adviser with the US consulate, told police that he shot the pillion riders in self-defence after they pulled a pistol on him in an attempted robbery.

While Pakistani officials named Raymond Davis as the accused American in reports and in court documents, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the name had been misreported.

"I can confirm that an employee at the U.S. Consulate in Lahore was involved in an incident today. It is under investigation. We have not released the identity of our employee at this point. And reports of a particular identity that are circulating through the media are incorrect," Crowley told reporters during a press briefing.

He also confirmed that the accused was a US national and civilian employee with the US consulate, and that the "individual is still in Pakistan."

When asked if the accused, being an employee of the consulate, had diplomatic immunity, Crowley said he was "going to leave it there for the moment. As we are able to share greater details with you, we will."

However, a source close to Davis told ABC News that he was involved in the incident, and the court documents filed in Lahore also list Davis as charged with murder. A trial will determine whether the killing was intentional, accidental or in self-defense.

Davis runs Hyperion Protective Consultants, LLC, a company that provides "loss and risk management professionals."

However, since it is not known in what capacity Davis was working for the government, it is not clear whether he is entitled to diplomatic immunity. (ANI)