E-Paper | July 30, 2026

Man dies as US diplomat rams vehicle into motorcycle in Islamabad

Shakeel Qarar Published
58
Col Joseph Emanuel was driving a white SUV when he hit Ateeq and Raheel travelling on a motorbike.
Col Joseph Emanuel was driving a white SUV when he hit Ateeq and Raheel travelling on a motorbike.
Col Joseph Emanuel was driving a white SUV when he hit Ateeq and Raheel travelling on a motorbike.
Col Joseph Emanuel was driving a white SUV when he hit Ateeq and Raheel travelling on a motorbike.
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A motorcyclist in Islamabad was killed in a road accident on Saturday after being hit by a vehicle reportedly driven by the military attaché of United States.

According to DawnNewsTV, Col Joseph Emanuel was driving a white SUV when he hit Ateeq and Raheel travelling on a motorbike. Resultantly, Ateeq died on the spot while Raheel suffered serious injuries and has been shifted to nearby hospital.

Police didn’t attempt to arrest the military attaché since he holds diplomatic immunity; however, they have shifted the US embassy’s vehicle to Kohsar police station.

The US diplomat reportedly misbehaved with the police and left the police station in another vehicle.

An FIR has been registered on the complaint of the victim's father under Section 320, 337, 279 and 427 at Kohsar police station. The report states that the incident happened due to the negligence of US diplomat.

In 2011, US consulate employee Raymond Davis had shot two Pakistani men in what he said was self-defence in a market area in Lahore.

Pakistan
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Shakeel Qarar is an Islamabad-based reporter for Dawn News (TV), having been with the organization since 2012. His reporting covers crime, law and order, and security, with a specific focus on the Ministry of Interior and its subordinate agencies. He can be found on X at @Qarar009.

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Wshaikh
Apr 07, 2018 06:47pm
A complete fair, transparent and thorough investigation should be conducted. Anyone found guilty should be dealt in accordance with the law.
Recommend 0
Danial
Apr 07, 2018 06:48pm
If a Pakistani diplomat would have killed an American he would have been in jail now
Recommend 0
Kamal
Apr 07, 2018 06:58pm
Diplomats has immunity. You can't do anything.
Recommend 0
Maria enteparia onnuchoriu
Apr 07, 2018 07:06pm
why arrest a driver when it is an accident.
Recommend 0
Alam
Apr 07, 2018 08:10pm
Again...
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Surya Kant
Apr 07, 2018 08:24pm
This is a murder
Recommend 0
Observer
Apr 07, 2018 08:26pm
Can happen to everyone. Prayers with victim's family.
Recommend 0
Imran
Apr 07, 2018 08:59pm
To be very fair, our traffic is chaotic and very unruly and such incidents are hard to avoid.
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Ayub
Apr 07, 2018 09:13pm
Very unfortunate. This will further aggravate the already tense relations between the two countries.
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Ali
Apr 07, 2018 09:20pm
Is there any answer why he misbehaved?
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The Real Haroon
Apr 07, 2018 10:06pm
Arrest him and interrogate him severely
Recommend 0
Khan one
Apr 07, 2018 10:15pm
Can our diplomat do this in USA?
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Pak-uk
Apr 07, 2018 11:51pm
He should be jailed.
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Umair
Apr 08, 2018 12:12am
Should be prosecuted.
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Main hoon na
Apr 08, 2018 12:14am
If he has diplomatic immunity’ what can we do? What him fly to USA.
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Citizen
Apr 08, 2018 12:14am
American officer was at fault
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SMI
Apr 08, 2018 12:18am
What is diplomatic.immunity does it's allow to kill people by deliberate mistake?
Recommend 0
My Advice
Apr 08, 2018 12:48am
Please do full investigation to reach a proper conclusion. Do not get influenced just because he is from a rich country.
Recommend 0
Justice
Apr 08, 2018 02:18am
The Chief Justice must take suo moto of this fatality at the hands of yet another US citizen of a Pakostani citizen in Pakistan.
Recommend 0
Justice
Apr 08, 2018 02:20am
The government MUST ensure that the culprit does not go unpunished, if it cares about Pakistan and the Pakistanies!
Recommend 0
AW
Apr 08, 2018 02:30am
It is an unfortunate traffic accident and not an intentional event. Law will take its course. The driver happens to be a diplomat which should not be the reason to demonize the Embassy or the country he represents
Recommend 0
Syed
Apr 08, 2018 02:56am
Saw the footage of this incident on TV, which looks like Diplomats cad has broken the red light that causes this fatal accident, I would like to see the implementation of law and true justice being delivered here...
Recommend 0
Adil Quraishi
Apr 08, 2018 03:21am
The US embassy staffer must be arrested interrogated and proceeded against according to the laws the land. A person is killed and another is seriously injured and accussed must be brought to jystice. US authorities would not have tolerated such criminal negligence if US citizens have been harmed. Diplomatic staff doesn't have the license to kill people by recklessly driving around and jumping red lights.
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Ali
Apr 08, 2018 04:29am
The diplomat ran a red light. He needs to leave the country if we can't arrest him!!
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ARIF
Apr 08, 2018 06:00am
Poor soul. RIP. No one will question the Americans.
Recommend 0
asim
Apr 08, 2018 06:37am
Do Pakistani diplomat enjoy this liberty and immunity and free rides, and no arrest culture and misbehave in US? The answer is No. Then what stops them here reciprocating same? You know the answer, so stop taking that to have degnity and self-esteem.
Recommend 0
Sach bolo
Apr 08, 2018 07:11am
Our government will let them go once again ...i want to ask from the top officials that if it would had happened with their children then what reaction they would fallow 1.take the blood money let them go without justice or fallow the pharse NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW and punish them for what they have done ...they are men of our soil at least respect them and give them justice.
Recommend 0
Tamza
Apr 08, 2018 07:15am
He should have been arrested -- diplomatic immunity doe NOT apply to MURDER.
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sheikh waqar-ul-hassan
Apr 08, 2018 07:20am
Seems like repeat of Raymond Davis Drama...
Recommend 0
Rizwan
Apr 08, 2018 07:34am
how can they get away with this murder so easy
Recommend 0
Amin
Apr 08, 2018 07:36am
Examplary punishment as a deterrent
Recommend 0
Shakaib
Apr 08, 2018 08:13am
The only remedy for these kind of incidents is to mob lynch such criminals otherwise they cant be punished through courts or police
Recommend 0
Mansur Ul Haque
Apr 08, 2018 08:19am
Pakistanis are not safe in their own country. Foreigner (Americans and Chinese) don't respect our laws. They treat our citizens worst than animals. For their convenience they can kill human beings.
Recommend 0
Asif khan
Apr 08, 2018 08:26am
Misuse of diplomatic immunity
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Maaz
Apr 08, 2018 08:29am
Now it’s a litmus test for Chief Justice Saqib Nisar Sahib. He must take suo moto notice of the case and begin immediately the proceedings against this American defence attaché.
Recommend 0
Alba
Apr 08, 2018 08:34am
A colonel doesn't know how to drive a car? Pathetic.
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SHAHID SATTAR
Apr 08, 2018 09:30am
Imagine some American citizen being killed in an accident in Washington D.C. by a car driven by a Pakistani diplomat. What would happen? The world would be buzzing all the way about it. And in our country, it is just another accident. It matters not. Some compensation for the deceased's family and all is well. If the Americans won't pay, our government will oblige them.
Recommend 0
Amir
Apr 08, 2018 10:47am
He has immunity can not do anything but expel. Pakistan can give all evidence of his negligence and let the Americans punish him in US. If the evidence is credible they will
Recommend 0
Reality bites
Apr 08, 2018 12:24pm
If our PM can be stripped at JFK despite being a diplomat, this Joseph should be arrested.
Recommend 0
Ahmad Malik
Apr 08, 2018 03:02pm
CJP should immediately take suo moto notice on this incident and culprit should be punished
Recommend 0
Just Observing
Apr 09, 2018 09:15am
@Danial Well said
Recommend 0
Just Observing
Apr 09, 2018 09:17am
@Khan one No way
Recommend 0
Hadi
Apr 09, 2018 09:42am
The signal was clearly red....this is, at best, manslaughter or at worst utter disdain for the locals and complete faith in American impunity.
Recommend 0
Ali
Apr 09, 2018 09:46am
well, what ever the law is for diplomats, trial should start. there has to be law, diplomats do not have a license to kill.
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masood
Apr 09, 2018 09:51am
he jumped the red light and hit the motorcycle. now we will see who pays the blood money?
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Shehreyar Khan
Apr 09, 2018 10:22am
Everyone calling for justice doesn't seem to realize that Pakistan's hands are tied. Unless the US waives his immunity, we can't really touch him. This is the same protection extended to our diplomats abroad. Furthermore, if a Pakistani had struck the motorcyclist, he would have been granted pre-arrest bail by the next day and would have to eventually pay diyat, but that's all. Offences like s.320 rarely result in imprisonment. Calling for the arrest of the US diplomat is absurd. The US government will likely pay the family diyat and recall the Colonel home for his actions. They may even dismiss him from his job. That's more than the Pakistani government can do.
Recommend 0
Shamshad Ahmad Qurraishi
Apr 09, 2018 10:44am
No suo moto notice ?
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Khawaja Azizuddin
Apr 09, 2018 10:45am
This is a case of accident with unfortunate loss of life. The media must refrain from spinning the situation and respect the international law. As per Geneva Convention on Diplomatic relations Pakistan as a signatory must honor the treaty which guarantees abosolute immunity to the accused aganst and civil and criminal prosecution. Pakistan does not have a locus standi nor the jurisdiction to try this case. The accused under the international law cannot be detained, arrested or questained. There is a good reason for having Geneva Convention and is essential instrument to protect members of diplomatic corp all over the world and not just United States.
Recommend 0
Imran
Apr 09, 2018 11:09am
Part of reason for the fatality was the metal grill on the front bumper, in all developed countries these are banned and only soft bumpers are allowed. The other point is the diplomat jumped the signal (red lights) from what I saw from the video. Hope for the justice to be served.
Recommend 0
Ahmad Malik
Apr 09, 2018 11:33am
@Kamal Sir, does immunity give right to kill?
Recommend 0
Taimur
Apr 09, 2018 11:55am
Why there is no diplomatic number plate on this vehicle
Recommend 0
khanm
Apr 09, 2018 12:31pm
@Maria enteparia onnuchoriu ..it is a gross negligence ... he ran over the red light...
Recommend 0
khanm
Apr 09, 2018 12:36pm
@Kamal ... I wasn't exactly sure what diplomatic immunity meant, so I asked around to see if I could kill someone. Not someone important, of course, but someone normal - I never got a call back on the question so I'm operating under the assumption that I can.
Recommend 0
khanm
Apr 09, 2018 12:38pm
@Danial ... American life worth millions your life worth peanuts... so many are killed in our own country by the elite ... what do we do....
Recommend 0
khanm
Apr 09, 2018 12:39pm
@Surya Kant ...There are four kinds of Homicide: felonious, excusable, justifiable, and praiseworthy.
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Aziz
Apr 09, 2018 11:08pm
@Adil Quraishi This was a unfortunate accedent with tragic lost of life by the member of Diplomatic mission who are soverign and immuned against any civil and crimnal jurisdictions. Therefore as per Geneva Convention they cannot be arrested or investigated nor can be held liable for any crimnal or civil offence. The law of Pakistan does not hold under such situation.
Recommend 0
Ay
Apr 10, 2018 09:33am
Video should be posted on YouTube as US Media has blocked this news about their diplomat.
Recommend 0
Sami khan
Apr 10, 2018 03:25pm
That diplomat must bring in Justice for this guilty
Recommend 0

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