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By Jillian Andrews
Street protests continued across Pakistan today for a second day against the release of American Raymond Davis, who was detained for killing two Pakistani men in January. Lawyers and some political groups organized the protests expressing their displeasure over t the release of Davis, who has been described as a contractor for the American intelligence agency CIA. Reports said that small protests took place in Karachi and Lahore.
Geo News reported that lawyers boycotted the district and high courts in Multan. Jamat-e-Islami activists also staged demonstrations. Protesters chanted slogans against Davis in Laki Marwat, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffarghar, Charsada and several towns in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Davis was held in custody despite American claims that Davis was a diplomat and he deserves diplomatic immunity. The Dawn News reported that Islamabad agreed to release Davis following a deal between the CIA and Pakistan's spy agency ISI under which $2.3 million was reportedly paid as blood money to the kin of the two dead men.
Meanwhile, Washington has rejected claims that it has paid any blood money to secure the release of Davis. “Davis was an embassy employee, and we will continue to seek visas for embassy employees who have important functions to perform in furtherance of the work we are doing with the Pakistani Government and on behalf of the Pakistani people,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters accompanying her during her Egypt visit. Clinton added that Davis was pardoned by the families of the two men shot dead by him. She added that the U.S. was very grateful for their decision.
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