US calls for immediate release of diplomat in Pakistan

"When detained, the US diplomat repeatedly requested immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations." — AP Photo ISLAMABAD: The United States on Saturday called for the immediate release of a US diplomat it said was unlawfully detained by Pakistani authorities in Lahore, its embassy in Islamabad said. "When detained, the US diplomat identified himself to police as a diplomat and repeatedly requested immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," it said in a statement. It added, "Local police and senior authorities failed to observe their legal obligation to verify his status with either the US consulate general in Lahore or the US embassy in Islamabad".