Washington/Islamabad, Feb 8
In a tense standoff, the US has demanded immediate release of American national Raymond Davis, held for gunning down two men in Lahore, amid reports that it had suspended all high-level dialogue with Pakistan over the issue.

The US describes 36-year-old Davis as a diplomat who is a member of "technical and administrative staff" of its embassy in Islamabad, but some Pakistani media reports have suggested that the American might have been a CIA operative who shot down in a Lahore market two Pakistani men, who he said were trying to rob him.

A new twist was added to the case when reports in the Pakistani media quoted a Pakistani intelligence official as saying that the two men killed by Davis on January 27 were not armed robbers but intelligence agents assigned to trail him.

The Washington Post reported that the US has suspended all high-level dialogue with Pakistan to put pressure on Islamabad to release the American as ties between the two countries have become severely strained over the issue. The case, the paper said, may scuttle a proposed tri-nation summit between US, Afghan and Pakistani leaders scheduled to be held here on February 24.

To convey its concern and displeasure at the treatment of the diplomat, the paper said, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cancelled a meeting last weekend with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at an international security conference in Munich.

The US administration has twice summoned Pakistani envoy Hussain Haqqani to the White House to stress on Davis' diplomatic immunity and demand his immediate release. The message was repeated by US Ambassador in Islamabad Cameron Munter in his meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari yesterday.

Clinton's message emphasised on the American administration's stand that the arrested official enjoyed diplomatic immunity and should be released, sources said.

US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley, speaking to reporters in Washington yesterday, too indicated that Munter had called on Zardari to release the arrested official.

Reports also suggested that this fresh irritant in bilateral relations could affect Zardari's upcoming visit to Washington. However, US embassy spokesperson Courtney Beale denied reports that the United States has put on hold high-level bilateral meetings with Pakistan. "We are making decisions on upcoming meetings on a case-by-case basis," Beale was quoted as saying by CNN.

Sources in the Pakistan government also said that there were no plans for President Zardari to call off his planned visit to Washington for the trilateral summit as the two countries were working to resolve the issue of Davis. — PTI

Cairo, February 8
Egypt has a plan and timetable for the peaceful transfer of power, the Vice-President said today, as protesters called more demonstrations to show their campaign to oust President Hosni Mubarak remains potent.

With signs growing that the government may be gaining the upper hand in the struggle for power, Vice-President Omar Suleiman promised no reprisals against the protesters for their two-week campaign to eject Mubarak after 30 years in office.

However, protesters camped on Cairo’s Tahrir Square accused the government of merely playing for time, and swore they would not give up until the current “half revolution” was complete.

“A clear roadmap has been put in place with a set timetable to realise the peaceful and organised transfer of power,” said Suleiman, a long-time intelligence chief who has led talks with opposition groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, Mubarak’s sworn enemy.

So far the government has conceded little ground in the talks. The embattled 82-year-old president, who has promised to stand down when his term expires in September, appears to be weathering the storm engulfing Egypt, at least for the moment.

Negotiations between the government and opposition factions took place on Sunday under the gaze of a giant portrait of Mubarak, the man the street protesters want to go immediately. “The President welcomed the national consensus, confirming that we are putting our feet on the right path to getting out of the current crisis,” Suleiman said in comments broadcast by state television, after briefing Mubarak on the talks.

Hundreds of thousands have joined previous demonstrations and the United Nations says 300 people may have died so far. But many in a country where about 40 per cent of people live on less than $2 a day are desperate to return to work and normal life, even some of those wanting to oust Mubarak.

However, people on Tahrir Square are sceptical about the talks and suspicious of the government’s motives. Youssef Hussein, a 52-year-old tourist driver from Aswan, held up a sign saying: — Reuters