IHC judge upset with police over inefficiency in handling diplomat’s case

Criticising the police over their inefficiency in the case, Islamabad High Court (IHC) has given five days time to the relevant committee to decide on the matter of placing US diplomat Colonel Joseph Emanuel's name on the Exit Control List (ECL).

According to local media reports, the IHC has ordered the police to send the case to the committee that has been formed over the issue to decide Emanuel's case in five days. Emanuel is main accused in a case for running a red light, after which two motorcycles crashed into his car instantly killing one while injuring another.

Judge Amir Farooq expressed his irritation with the police over their inefficiency to follow the procedure and remarked that they had not even taken blood test of the diplomat. "Diplomatic immunity does not permit killing someone," he said.

Foreign and interior ministry's police officials and representatives were also present during the hearing. When the bench was given the record of Emaneul's statement, the judge asked the SHO who had recorded the statement as to why it was written in Urdu and not English.

The SHO replied that the diplomat had given the statement in English but they had translated and written it in Urdu. The judge remarked, "The diplomat might declaim from the statement saying he doesn’t know the language it’s written in."

Police request interior ministry to place US military attaché on ECL

On April 7, Emanuel ran a red light and hit two men, Ateeq Baig and his cousin, riding a motorcycle coming from the other side. Ateeq died on the spot whereas his cousin was injured.

Following the accident, police reached the spot and transported the diplomat’s car to the police station. The US Embassy expressed its sympathy on Twitter to the family of the deceased after the incident.