Pakistan summons US ambassador, lodges protest over fatal road accident

Pakistan on Sunday summoned US Ambassador to Foreign Office to lodge a protest over a road accident involving a US diplomat that killed a citizen in the federal capital on Saturday.

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua summoned the top US envoy where he expressed grief over the loss of life and assured full cooperation in the investigation in the road accident.

“Justice will take its course in accordance with the law of the land and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961," said a press release by the Foreign Office.

Later, the US embassy in Pakistan in a tweet extended sympathy to the family of the deceased and those injured in the traffic accident.

The U.S. Embassy expresses its deep sympathy to the family of the deceased and those injured in a tragic traffic accident involving a U.S. Embassy vehicle on Saturday. Embassy officials are cooperating with local authorities who are investigating the accident. pic.twitter.com/ArOzA2j18O

— US Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) April 8, 2018

In the accident, a man, identified as 22-year-old Ateeq, died on the spot, while his cousin Raheel Ahmad suffered injuries. 

The funeral prayers of Ateeq were offered Sunday afternoon attended by a large number of people.

Raheel Ahmad was admitted to a hospital where doctors said that he had his bones fractured in the accident at two points besides multiple minor injuries. The panel of doctors will decide on Monday as to when he was operated upon surgically.

Sources said that the foreign ministry got angry at the police for releasing the driver responsible for the fatal accident. The sources said that it was not the police but the foreign ministry who would decide as to whether the person in question enjoying the exemption under Geneva convention.

However, the police said that the US diplomat was not released only after he showed his official card but necessary formalities were carried out and the police only released the diplomat after it had obtained the confirmation from the foreign affairs ministry.