ISLAMABAD - In yet another incident in less than one month, a US diplomat hit two bike riders near Secretariat Chowk at the Constitution Avenue here Sunday night.
The US diplomat identified as Chad Rex Ausburn (Second Secretary) US embassy, Islamabad, and holding card number 22556 issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Islamabad, was driving his Toyota jeep (QN-374 ICT) when he hit two persons riding their bike (ARM-935 ICT).
The victims were identified as Nazakat Aslam son of Muhammad Aslam, a permanent resident of Muzaffarabad, and an employee of Motamar Al-Almi Islami, and Muhammad Waseem son of Jan Muhammad.
Nazakat received injuries in his head and stated to be in critical condition.
The area police immediately reached the spot and rushed both the injured to the PIMS Hospital for medical treatment.
According to police sources, the diplomat locked himself inside the vehicle immediately after the incident. However, later he let the police officials inside the vehicle. The police took the US diplomat and his vehicle into custody immediately after the incident and they were at the Secretariat police station till the filing of this report.
In the first week of April, another US diplomat had hit two motorcycle riders near the zoo here. A fast-moving SUV, driven by the US defence and air attaché, Col Joseph Emanuel Hall, jumped the lights and hit the motorcycle riding two men at a traffic signal, killing one Atiq Baig (22) while his cousin Raheel Ahmed also suffered injuries. The US diplomat was briefly held for the incident and later released which also sparked a controversy whether he was enjoying diplomatic immunity to be released from the police custody. Few days later, the highups of the Islamabad police suspended and transferred senior police officials who did not act properly and as per rules after the accident.
The Kohsar police had taken the defence attaché and his vehicle to the Kohsar police station. Later, the driver was allowed to leave. The police, however, impounded the vehicle and took the diplomat’s cards for verification. A case was also registered against the driver under Sections 279 (Rash driving or riding on a public way), 320 (Punishment for manslaughter by rash or negligent driving), 337-G (Punishment for hurt by rash or negligent driving) and 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The case was registered on the complaint of the victim Baig’s father. Several people took to social media to protest against the favourable treatment given to the US diplomat. The Foreign Office had also summoned US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale to register “a strong protest” against the killing of the Pakistani citizen by the US official in the road accident.
On April 17, Islamabad High Court had criticized authorities for not placing foreign travel restrictions on the US diplomat who is at present under investigation for his involvement in the traffic accident. The deceased family had since petitioned the High Court, asking that the diplomat’s name be placed on the Exit Control List.
In July 2010, a US embassy officer attached to the embassy’s Force Protection Department, hit and killed a young man driving a motorcycle on the 7th Avenue in Islamabad. In February 2013, an administrative assistant at the US embassy also hit two motorcyclists with his Land Cruiser near Kohsar Complex at Margalla Avenue. A man was killed and another was injured in the accident. In November 2010, a member of the US Regional Affairs Office hit another embassy’s vehicle causing damage to both the vehicles at Shahrah-i-Jamhuriat near Radio Pakistan. The Sunday’s is the fourth road accident in recent years in which US diplomats have hit and killed people in Islamabad, the capital city and they got away with it because they had diplomatic immunity.
Another US diplomat hits
bikers in Islamabad
