ISLAMABAD: The father of a youngster, who was killed after being hit by the vehicle of a US diplomat in Islamabad last week, has petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to order placement of the diplomat’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL).
On Saturday, the vehicle of a defence attaché at the US embassy in Islamabad, Colonel Joseph Emanuel Hall, ran a red light and rammed into a motorcycle in the federal capital on Saturday afternoon, killing one man, Ateeq Baig, on the spot and injuring another.
Colonel Joseph, station house officer (SHO) of Kohsar police station, inspector general (IG) Islamabad and interior secretary have been made parties in the petition filed with the IHC.
Ateeq’s father took the stance that Colonel Joseph, while intoxicated, hit his son and he died on the spot, whereas his cousin got seriously injured.
The petitioner stated that police registered the first information report (FIR) of the incident under media pressure, however, no serious efforts are being made to complete investigations into the matter.
He moved the court to order police to conduct transparent investigations and arrest the culprit.
A day after the incident, US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale was summoned to the Foreign Office to protest the killing.
Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua recorded strong protest with the US envoy, who expressed grief over the incident and assured full cooperation from the US embassy in investigating the incident, said a Foreign Office spokesman.
“Justice will take its course in accordance with the law of the land and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961,” the Foreign Office said in a statement issued later.
Earlier today, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif revealed that the US embassy official involved in the Islamabad road accident is still in Pakistan.
The minister made the remarks in the National Assembly in response to a lawmaker’s question on the status of the case following rumours that the diplomat may have left the country.
Asif assured the House that the law will take its course in the case, adding that the US embassy has assured the government of cooperation in the matter.
He added that police are also investigating the case.
