RAWALPINDI: A special US aircraft arrived at the Nur Khan Airbase onSaturday noon to take along Col. Joseph Emanuel who is facing travelrestrictions after the April 7 incident.
According to ARY’s Islamabad bureau chief Sabir Shakir, a special aircraftlanded at the Nur Khan Airbase to take with them Col. Emanuel. US Embassyhas also reportedly handed over passport of the diplomat to FIA immigrationofficials.
However, according to the correspondent, the FIA team is awaiting ordersfrom the top authorities to released the US official.
[image: US diplomat Col Joseph accident]link>
On April 7, US Defence and Air Attaché Col Joseph Emanuel Hall jumped a redlight at Daman-i-Koh Chowk and hit a motorcycle. As a result, two riders ofthe bike suffered injuries and one of them, 22-year-old Ateeq Baig, laterdied.
Col Hall had escaped arrest because of diplomatic immunity but a firstinformation report (FIR) regarding the incident was registered with KohsarPolice Station.
Mohammad Idrees, Ateeq’s father, had filed a petition through his counselShahzad Akbar for placement of the diplomat’s name on ECL. CCTV footage ofthe Safe City Project shows the diplomat driving a white land cruiser at ahigh speed and hitting the motorcycle after violating the red signal.
In his petition, he claimed the police registered a FIR of the incidentunder pressure from media, but were not seriously following the case. Hepleaded with the court to order the police to carry out a fair probe intohis son’s death in the road mishap and send the diplomat behind bars.
The counsel during the court hearing contended that under the ViennaConvention on Diplomatic Relations 1961, there was a diplomatic ‘immunity’,not ‘impunity’.
Diplomatic immunity is not intended to serve as a licence for persons toflout the law and purposely avoid liability for their actions, he contended.