Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani today told the parliament that the case of a US official arrested for gunning down two men would be decided by the courts and hoped that the governments of both countries will not allow the matter to come in the way of their "mutually beneficial partnership".    Earlier in the day, Gilani had reacted to reports that US official Raymond Davis was a CIA operative by saying that his government would handle the matter without compromising national interests.    Making a statement in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament on the issue of detained American national Raymond Davis this evening, Gilani made it clear that his government intended to settle the issue according to "dictatesof justice and the rule of law".    At the same time, the government will keep in mind the people's sentiments and "not compromise on Pakistan's sovereignty and dignity" while working to resolve Davis' case, he said.    "I wish to categorically assure this august house and the people of Pakistan of our firm resolve to adopt a course that fully accords with dictates of justice and the rule of law," Gilani said.    "I want to assure this august house and the nation that my government will not compromise on Pakistan's sovereignty and dignity. We are a responsible government and conscious of the sentiments of our people," he said.    Noting that the democratic government of Pakistan and the Obama administration were "working hard to build a long-term strategic relationship", Gilani said: "I am confident both governments will not allow the Davis case to come in the way of this mutually beneficial partnership".    The Pakistan People's Party-led government has faced strong criticism from opposition parties and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for its handling of the case of Davis, who was arrested in Lahore last month after he shot and killed two armed men he said were trying to rob him.    A third Pakistani died when he was struck by a US consulate vehicle rushing to help Davis.    Pakistani leaders, fearful of a backlash from the public, have rebuffed repeated US demands for Davis to be released on grounds of diplomatic immunity.    The case has been further complicated by revelations in the western media that Davis, a former Special Forces soldier, was working for the CIA at the time of his arrest.     Noting that the matter was in the courts and sub-judice, Gilani acknowledged that there are "differences of opinion between Pakistan and the US in the case of Mr Davis on the issues of interpretation and applicability of international and national laws".    He added: "This is because of ambiguity and inconsistency that is reflected in the available record".    Reports have said that Davis was not listed as a diplomat in the records of the Foreign Office. The government recently sought three weeks from the Lahore High Court to certify Davis' diplomatic status.    Gilani said his government is "mindful of our international obligations under the Vienna Conventions and other international legal instruments".    The government had been acting in a "careful" manner because of the "legal complexity of questions arising on the Davis case" and the country's obligations under international and national laws, he said.    The government has also sought expert legal opinion on the issue, he added.    Gilani also noted that the Lahore high court, in an order passed on February 1, had stated that the matter of whether Davis had diplomatic status "has neither arisen so far nor the same has been claimed".    The court had stated that "if any matter on immunity arises in future, that can be determined by the courts of law", he said.    Pakistan-US ties have plunged to a new low over Davis' case and Washington has put off a crucial meeting with Islamabad and Kabul due to the diplomatic row.    Gilani had earlier said that his government would handle the matter without compromising national interests.    "You should not be worried. There is a responsible government and it is working in the country's interest," Gilani said while responding to questions about Davis during an interaction with the media on the sidelines of an official function in Punjab province."We have to put our country first. (We) will do whatever is in Pakistan's best interest," he said.    Gilani also rejected the opposition's claims that fake documents had been prepared to provide diplomatic immunity to Davis.    "We don't need to prepare fake documents," he said.

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