News reports quote a senior Pakistani intelligence official as saying the U.S. consulate employee accused of shooting two men in Lahore is a spy for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
Britain’s Guardian newspaper and the French news agency quote the official Monday as saying he believes “beyond a shadow of a doubt” that American Raymond Davis is employed by the CIA.
Davis says the two men he shot were trying to rob him. Pakistani police have rejected Davis’ version of events and accuse the American of committing murder.
The United States says Davis enjoys diplomatic status, but the Lahore High Court has yet to decide whether it will certify his claim to diplomatic immunity in the case. A decision is expected next month.
Pakistan’s prime minister told parliament Monday that Davis’ fate will be determined by the courts. He said the U.S. and Pakistan should not allow this incident to undermine their bilateral relations.
The case has raised tensions between Washington and Islamabad and has fueled anti-American sentiment across Pakistan.
Hundreds of Pakistanis protested Friday in front of the U.S. consulate in Lahore, demanding Davis stay in Pakistan and be punished.