LAHORE - The tone and tenor of Senator John Kerrys address to the select journalists at the residence of the American Consular in Lahore was in stark contrast to US President Barack Obamas press talk in Washington. It seemed as if Sen Kerry was wielding the carrot and Obama the stick. From the outset, Kerrys air dash to the Punjab metropolis left no mystery that he was arriving to salvage Raymond Davis in the last-ditch efforts. Will he succeed in his mission or not, shouldnt be anybodys guess now. However, 'theres a many a slip twixt cup and lip may be on display in the street protests ensuing Tuesday night proclamation of immunity for Davis. Notwithstanding the implications, Kerry is here to carry the American killer to Washington. Despite the fact that the Foreign Office has succumbed to American pressure and has declared Davis a diplomat, our rulers should not under-estimate the reaction of the masses who have been screaming out loud for the American killers trial. This erring can well trigger an Egyptian-style episode in the heart of our capital. What Sen Kerry said in the hurriedly-called select conference, barring the Nawa-i-Waqt Group, at this crucial juncture has not made anyone in Pakistan wiser. He embarked on a mellow expression from the start. But what he said has been heard a dozen times right from the mouth of top American leaders and diplomats. He argued 'Raymond Davis is a diplomat, knowing in his heart he is not. According to informed circles, there is ample evidence available that Raymond Davis has been coming to Pakistan over and over again only to launch or supervise espionage activities mainly aimed at destabilising Pakistan and supporting insurgency in Balochistan. On the other hand, the visibly arrogant President Obama did not wait to hear from Senator Kerry on how things stand and preferred to speak to the media in Washington, telling Pakistan to treat Raymond Davis as a diplomat. John Kerrys focus in response to all questions was that the US was helping Pakistan in many ways and that the incident, despite being unfortunate, should not be allowed to jeopardise bilateral relations and disrupt the process of assistance being offered by the US. The senator repeatedly quoted Article 31 of the Vienna Convention of 1961 while claiming that he was a diplomat and should be handed over to the US, assuring at the same time that the US Justice Department would initiate criminal proceedings against Davis. Kerry also quoted from the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that provide for compensation but conveniently forgot the Islamic tradition of blood for blood. Senator Kerry, like PPP Information Secretary Fauzia Wahab, forgot to consult the Vienna Convention of 1963 that specifically comprehends the responsibilities of and immunity for the consulate staff. Article 41 of the Convention clearly states that if a diplomatic agent posted at a consulate office commits a heinous crime, his fate would be determined by the court of his host country. Another important aspect of the Davis episode is the nature of the passport in his possession at the time of his arrest. There is no denying the fact that he was travelling on an ordinary passport with an official visa stamped on it. And there is also no doubt in any Pakistanis mind that his status has been manoeuvred much later during hectic diplomatic activities between Islamabad and Washington, courtesy Interior Minister Rehman Malik who ensured Shah Mahmood Qureshis exit as foreign minister. A senior diplomat, while talking to TheNation, questioned why the drone attacks and suicide bombings have come to a sudden halt since the arrest of Raymond Davis. Should one understand that Raymond Davis was a kingpin in all such activities, he asked, adding that Senator Kerry must be complimented for the polite expression that he used during his press conference in Lahore as compared to President Obamas abrasive speech in Washington. All said and done, the ball is in the Punjab governments court. Now that our great Foreign Office, on instructions from everyone knows where, has declared Raymond Davis a diplomat, will Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif stand up to let the law take its course? Visiting Senator Kerry sought a meeting with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif before he embarked on his journey to Lahore. The two will see each other one-on-one, most probably on the breakfast. As indicated by Kerry himself, he will be meeting various political leaders, including President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani, the outcome of which doesnt take a genius to predict. But they better watch out for the backlash.