*ISLAMABAD: *The families of 22-year-old Ateeq Baig and his cousin Raheel,who were killed and injured respectively in an accident involving USEmbassy’s Defence and Air Attache Colonel Joseph Emanuel Hall, werecompensated financially before the diplomat was allowed to leave Pakistanlast month, a local media outlet reported on Friday.

Baig was killed and Raheel was injured after the diplomat hit theirmotorcycle with his car in the federal capital on April 7. Baig’s familyapproached the Islamabad High Court (IHC), prompting the Ministry ofInterior to book the diplomat for unintentional murder through rash drivingand to place him on the Exit Control List (ECL).

On May 14, the diplomat was allowed to leave Pakistan, prompting backlashon social media. The victims’ families confirmed that they were taken intoconfidence by the authorities before the diplomat exited the country butthey did not confirm being financially compensated.

On Friday, a local media outlet reported that Baig’s family was paid Rs5million and Raheel’s family was given Rs1 million to settle the matter.This was reportedly confirmed by one of Raheel’s family members.Reportedly, it was the government and not the US Embassy that compensatedthe victims’ families financially for their losses.