Man dies as US diplomat rams vehicle into motorcycle in Islamabad

E-Paper | March 17, 2026

Man dies as US diplomat rams vehicle into motorcycle in Islamabad

Shakeel Qarar Published April 7, 2018

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

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.

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Danial

Apr 07, 2018 06:48pm

If a Pakistani diplomat would have killed an American he would have been in jail now

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Kamal

Apr 07, 2018 06:58pm

Diplomats has immunity. You can't do anything.

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Maria enteparia onnuchoriu

Apr 07, 2018 07:06pm

why arrest a driver when it is an accident.

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Alam

Apr 07, 2018 08:10pm

Again...

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Surya Kant

Apr 07, 2018 08:24pm

This is a murder

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Observer

Apr 07, 2018 08:26pm

Can happen to everyone. Prayers with victim's family.

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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

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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

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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...

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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...

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Rizwan

Apr 08, 2018 07:34am

how can they get away with this murder so easy

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Amin

Apr 08, 2018 07:36am

Examplary punishment as a deterrent

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Reality bites

Apr 08, 2018 12:24pm

If our PM can be stripped at JFK despite being a diplomat, this Joseph should be arrested.

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Ahmad Malik

Apr 08, 2018 03:02pm

CJP should immediately take suo moto notice on this incident and culprit should be punished

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Just Observing

Apr 09, 2018 09:15am

@Danial Well said

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Just Observing

Apr 09, 2018 09:17am

@Khan one No way

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Ahmad Malik

Apr 09, 2018 11:33am

@Kamal Sir, does immunity give right to kill?

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Taimur

Apr 09, 2018 11:55am

Why there is no diplomatic number plate on this vehicle

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khanm

Apr 09, 2018 12:31pm

@Maria enteparia onnuchoriu ..it is a gross negligence ... he ran over the red light...

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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.

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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....

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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.

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Apr 10, 2018 09:33am

Video should be posted on YouTube as US Media has blocked this news about their diplomat.

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Sami khan

Apr 10, 2018 03:25pm

That diplomat must bring in Justice for this guilty

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