WASHINGTON, Feb 19: A US Embassy official who ran his vehicle over a Pakistani citizen while rushing to assist Raymond Davis has slipped out of the country and is now in the United States along with another American official involved in the incident, officials say. A senior US official said in Washington that both left Pakistan soon after the Jan 27 incident in Lahore.

The Pakistani citizen, Ibadur Rehman, died on the spot, along with two other Pakistanis shot dead by Davis.

Davis claimed before a court in Lahore that he opened fire on the two motorcyclists in self-defence.

The Punjab police have reportedly sent five letters to the US Embassy, Islamabad, asking that the driver and vehicle be handed over, but have not yet received a response.

US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip J. Crowley had earlier confirmed that a US Embassy official was driving the car that ran over Mr Ibadur Rehman.

When asked at the latest State Department briefing if the person driving that car was still in Pakistan, Mr Crowley said: “I'm not going to comment.”

A reporter reminded Mr Crowley that on Friday the Lahore High Court had ordered the police to proceed in accordance with law against the driver of the vehicle that crushed Mr Rehman to death.

But Mr Crowley said that since that matter was still under investigation, “I'll decline to comment”.

Meanwhile, the BBC reported that investigations seem to contradict early assertions that the car rushed to the scene to rescue Davis. “Subsequent investigations have now shown that the vehicle — a Toyota Land Cruiser — was with Mr Davis at the time of the incident.

“In fact, Mr Davis was leading and clearing the way for the Toyota when the incident took place.”