US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter.-AP

ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter issued a public apology on Wednesday over the killings in Lahore and thanked the families for agreeing on compensation for Raymond Davis’s release.

A court freed the CIA contractor accused of double murder after $2 million in blood money was paid to the families of the deceased, ending a damaging row with the United States.

“I am grateful for their (the families') generosity. I wish to express, once again, my regret for the incident and my sorrow at the suffering it caused,” said Munter in an emailed statement on Wednesday.

“I wish to express my respect for Pakistan and its people, and my thanks for their commitment to building our relationship, to everyone's benefit,” he added.