Interior ministry on Thursday decided against placing on Exit Control List (ECL) the US Defence and Air Attache Colonel Joseph Emanuel Hall — whose car had rammed into a motorcycle killing a man in Islamabad, said sources.
On April 7, the vehicle of Colonel Hall ran a red light and rammed into a motorcycle killing Ateeq Baig on the spot and injuring his cousin. The diplomat was let go by police after registration of a case after the Foreign Office (FO) said he enjoyed diplomatic immunity.
According to information obtained from sources, the decision was taken by the Ministry of Interior after taking into account Colonel Hall's diplomatic immunity.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had observed on April 18 that diplomatic immunity does not permit killing someone. Justice Aamer Farooq gave the remarks while hearing a petition seeking the placement of a US diplomat who fatally ran over a young man in Islamabad earlier this month on the ECL.
