ISLAMABAD – Around 300 Raymond Davis-like CIA contractors are present in various parts of Pakistan, the revelation of which has further deepened the diplomatic row between Islamabad and Washington over the fate of the American killer of two Pakistanis arrested in Lahore in January. The presence of dozens of CIA-linked Americans is not the only matter of deep concern for Pakistani security agencies but what is alarming is that these Davis-like “dubious characters” are also indulging in some highly-objectionable activities.
Davis, who was stationed by the CIA in Lahore in the garb of a member of US diplomatic staff, was for instance trying to make inroads into jihadi organisations linked to Kashmir, such as the defunct Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jaish-e-Muhammad and for that purpose he had planned meetings with them. “What happened to Davis in Lahore on January 27 has led to startling disclosures such as the presence of well over 300 other such people in Pakistan and also that these people are trying to monitor the banned jihadi organisations there,” a security official requesting anonymity said.
Pakistani security agencies have taken serious notice of this alarming situation and the matter is currently being deliberated upon at various levels between Islamabad and Washington. The official said the Obama administration too was deeply perturbed over the contentious issue and influential US Senator John Kerry, who recently visited Islamabad, was not here only to seek the release of Davis but to discuss the entire issue of presence of dozens of other such people on Pakistani soil. “The displeasure prevailing in Pakistan’s ruling circles was conveyed to Senator Kerry by the top Pakistani leadership along with demand that the presence and activities of the CIA-linked people are unacceptable and Washington needs to take urgent steps to stop them,” he said.
The official said the intelligence agencies were also looking into CIA contractors’ attempts to contact the Taliban based in the Tribal Areas and their purpose to do that as was revealed by the record of phone calls made by Davis to those areas before his arrest.
