Islamabad: Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday stated that an American diplomat, who was involved in a fatal car crash in Pakistan, was allowed to leave the country after the US government assured that he will be tried under US laws, reported Radio Pakistan.
Colonel Joseph Emanuel Hall, the Defence and Air Attache at the US Embassy, was reportedly flown out of Pakistan from the Nur Khan Airbase in a special aircraft on May 14.
FO Spokesperson Muhammad Faisal, during his weekly press briefing, said Colonel Joseph had diplomatic immunity as per the Vienna Convention of 1972.
Faisal added that travel restrictions of diplomats of the United States (US) were now in place, according to the Express Tribune.
“Diplomats and their families will have to seek prior permission to travel outside the radius of 25 miles,” he briefed reporters.
Colonel hall left the country after the US refused to withdraw his diplomatic immunity. However, an Islamabad court had ruled earlier that Col Hall’s diplomatic immunity did not protect him in the case, as per media reports.
The local police had handed over all records related to Colonel Hall to the US officials, the report said.
On Saturday, the authorities in Pakistan prevented Colonel Hall, from flying out of the country. A U.S. Air Force C130 had landed at Pakistan’s Nur Khan air base to bring Hall back to the United States but was forced to leave without him, according to Pakistani media.
Last month, Colonel Hall, ran down three persons in Daman-e-Koh, north of Islamabad.
He was reportedly sloshed while driving the white Land Cruiser that hit three motorcyclists at a traffic signal.
One of the riders was killed in the incident, while the other two were wounded critically. (ANI)