PAKISTANI Christians are bracing for possible attacks on their churches following the release of Raymond Davis, a US CIA contractor after a local court acquitted him yesterday of two counts of murder at a hearing held at a prison in the eastern city of Lahore.
Davis, 36, was alleged to have shot dead two men in Lahore on January 27, 2100, following what he said was an attempted armed robbery and he claimed that he acted in ‘self-defense.’
The family members of the two dead men were in court and confirmed that they wanted Davis to be freed and pardoned because they had received ‘blood money.’
Now the court has released Davis but, because everything was done so secretly and nothing was brought into the notice of the media, many here are now trying to unravel the facts, ANS reported.
The BBC’s Orla Guerin in Islamabad said that Davis – a former US special forces member – has already been released from jail but his exact whereabouts were unknown. She added that there were unconfirmed reports that he had already left Pakistan.
The deal to release him – made by the court sitting in his Lahore jail – ends a long-simmering diplomatic stand-off between Pakistan and the United States which had severely strained relations. It will come as a relief to both governments, the news agency reported.
As soon as news of the acquittal got out to the public, protests took place in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. In Lahore demonstrators clashed with riot police near the US consulate.
Six people were injured and several others were arrested after police baton-charged the crowd.
In other parts of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad demonstrators set tires on fire and disrupted traffic.
The US has always insisted that Davis had diplomatic immunity and was acting in self-defense.
Now Christians all over Pakistan are worried about situation and feel insecure as militants or terrorists may now attack Christian worship places.
