17 March,2011 07:20 AM IST | | Agencies
A Pakistan court yesterday freed a CIA contractor accused of double murder after Rs 10 crore in blood money was paid to the families of the dead, ending a damaging row with the United States.
Raymond Davis, remanded in jail since he shot dead two men in Lahore on January 27, said he acted in self-defence and has been backed by US authorities, who said he was an embassy employee with full diplomatic immunity.
Protesters shout slogans against the released of CIA contractor Raymond Davisu00a0during a demonstration yesterday
The incident sparked protests across the country and ruptured fragile ties between the United States and the government in Islamabad, which had been under domestic pressure to stand up to its superpower ally and try Davis for murder.
But, following a court hearing yesterday at the Lahore jail where Davis was detained, Punjab provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed that the US gunman had been freed.
"He has been released from jail. Now it is up to him. He can go wherever he wants," said Sanaullah. The minister said the case had been settled with blood money.
"The family members of the slain men appeared in the court and independently verified they had pardoned him," said Sanaullah.
Raja Irshad, a lawyer for the families of the two dead men, said a total of 20 crore Pakistani rupees was paid as compensation. Police investigator Muneer Ahmed said that the deal had been done by "mutual agreement" but opposition politicians said the government had caved in to US coercion.
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan decried the blood-money deal as a "reprehensible act" and said it would "escalate extremism in the country".
Hillary says
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US government did not pay the compensation.
"The United States did not pay any compensation," she said. Asked who paid the families, she replied, "You will have to ask the families."
