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Wife of Pakistani Man Shot by US Diplomat Commits Suicide


A Pakistani nurse and unidentified relatives of Shumaila Kanwal, bottom, the widow of a Pakistani man allegedly shot and killed by a U.S. official, stand beside her at a local hospital in Faisalabad, Pakistan, after she ate rat poison, February 6, 2011
A Pakistani nurse and unidentified relatives of Shumaila Kanwal, bottom, the widow of a Pakistani man allegedly shot and killed by a U.S. official, stand beside her at a local hospital in Faisalabad, Pakistan, after she ate rat poison, February 6, 2011

The wife of a Pakistani man shot by a U.S. diplomat has committed suicide after saying she feared the American would be released without trial.

Doctors say Shumaila Kanwal died at a hospital in Faisalabad city late Sunday after consuming insecticides earlier in the day.

After she was hospitalized, Kanwal told reporters who had gathered there that she did not expect any justice from the Pakistani government, adding that she wanted "blood for blood." Doctors quoted her as saying she feared that U.S. consular employee Raymond Davis could be released without trial.

U.S. officials say Davis acted in self defense in shooting and killing the two men during an alleged robbery attempt in the eastern city of Lahore last month. A third Pakistani was killed when he was struck by a consulate vehicle that had rushed to the scene of the shooting.

The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad has asked Pakistan to release Davis, saying he has diplomatic immunity and was detained illegally in the eastern city of Lahore, where the shooting took place. Pakistan is currently holding him in custody while police investigate the case.

The Associated Press reports, however, that Pakistani officials in the U.S. say Davis is expected to be freed within days after a Pakistani court reviews documents that U.S. officials have submitted proving his status.

The case has increased anti-American sentiment in Pakistan, where the government is frequently criticized for allowing Washington to conduct missile attacks targeting militants in the country's northwest.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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