A bill for the payment made to the heirs of the families of victims killed by Raymond Davis would soon be forwarded to Consulate General of the US in Lahore, high official sources revealed Business Recorder. Sources further disclosed that the total cost of the blood money was around $10 million.
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly, while talking to Business Recorder said that he had no knowledge about who arranged the blood money and who would submit the bill to the US Consulate. He said he was pretty sure that the provincial government of Punjab did not pay any money allowed under Diyat.
However, he said that Pakistan Muslim League (N) would take up the matter in the coming session of National Assembly. Conflicting reports have emerged about how much money had been paid to the families of the two victims with different media channels claiming amounts ranging from Rs 60 million to Rs 200 million (approximately $700,000 to $2,350,000).
Saudi Arabia has strongly contradicted any role in negotiations between the US administration, the Pakistan government and the families of the accused. Sources close to Saudi envoy in Pakistan categorically denied reports that the Saudis played any role in resolving the dispute after the Davis issue led to serious damage to US-Pakistan relations.
The sources quoted the Saudi Ambassador as saying that the Saudi government had recently developed serious difference with the US over sending 1000 military troops and 500 other law enforcing personnel to Bahrain in order to assist the government to overcome the street protests. This move, the Ambassador said led to criticism of Saudi action by the US administration; and the White House was critical of the ruling kings of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.