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The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has condemned the release of Central Intelligence Agency contractor Raymond Davis under a "blood money" deal with relatives of two men he killed and threatened to target all those who aided the US in securing his acquittal in court.
Taliban spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan said the militant group's central leadership had taken exception to the release of the "CIA agent" by a Pakistani court.
"We have evidence that Raymond Davis, as a CIA agent, was involved in acts of terrorism in Pakistan," he claimed.
The meeting chaired by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Hakimullah Mahsud in the tribal areas decided to target "all those individuals who were directly or indirectly involved in facilitating the release of Davis," Ahsan told The News daily.
"With the help of our colleagues in Punjab, we have initiated an investigation to identify the individuals who played a role in winning freedom for Davis. Setting free the killer of two innocent Pakistanis proved that Pakistan has become a US colony and our rulers have no guts to stand up against their American masters," Ahsan said. \
He claimed that Davis' release even after "committing double murder" would provide the Americans another opportunity "to make fun of Pakistan". Davis was acquitted and pardoned by a court in Lahore last week after over two million dollars was paid as "blood money" under Islamic laws to the relatives of the two men shot and killed by the CIA contractor in January.
However, Ahsan claimed that the Islamic laws of 'diyat' and other Sharia laws were not applicable to "spies and non-Muslims who are fighting Muslims or had occupied their lands".
"We don't understand why our rulers took advantage of Sharia for pleasing the Americans when Pakistan is a secular country where all decisions are made under Anglo-Saxon law," Ahsan claimed.
Ahsan said the Taliban were aware of the crucial role played by Pakistan's ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani in floating the idea of 'diyat' to enable Davis to be freed.
"Davis is a free man now but (Pakistani terror suspect) Aafia Siddiqi has been sentenced to 86 years imprisonment by a US court without any evidence of her involvement in terrorist activities," he claimed.
Ahsan rejected reports that Davis was in contact with Pakistani militants, including Taliban fighters.
"We wish such an important person fell into our hands so that we could have dealt with him in the way he deserved," he said.