Pakistan Islamists threaten riots if government frees US diplomat
Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami, an influential Islamist party, accused the United States of exerting "unprincipled and unlawful" pressure on Pakistan, Reuters reports. The party said that America is running roughshod over Pakistan's legal system to free diplomat Raymond Davis (whom many believe to be CIA or Special Ops).
"Why is America hell bent on trampling on Pakistani law and its judicial system? We will forcefully protest if he is released without a court order," the news agency quoted Jamaat-e-Islami deputy chief Liaquat Baluch as saying.
Raymond Davis was arrested after shooting two Pakistanis in what he called self defence during an armed robbery attempt and what Lahore's police chief called "clear-cut murder".
Davis has been detained on remand since the incident.
On Thursday, the United States is expected to present a petition to a Lahore court to certify that Davis has diplomatic immunity and should be released, Reuters reported.
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