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WASHINGTON: Pakistan can persuade the two US diplomats involved in traffic accidents in Islamabad to cooperate with the investigation but it cannot detain them, diplomatic observers say.
In interviews to Dawn, diplomats at the Pakistan Embassy and other foreign missions insist that once it is determined that the person involved is entitled to diplomatic immunity, the host government cannot detain that person.
US Embassy’s Second Secretary Chad Rex Ausburn and the embassy’s military attaché, Col Joseph E. Hall, are involved in the road accidents that happened on April 7 and April 29.
“Pakistan cannot deny immunity to the two diplomats. They can only keep them in the country till investigations complete,” said a South Asian diplomat.
Diplomats in Washington say that in traffic accidents, the embassy has no legal obligation to pay compensation to the victims’ families.
Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2018
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Comments (28) Closed
May 01, 2018 10:57am
What a joke. Immunity to killers? Ridiculous no matter what's the status of the killer.
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May 01, 2018 11:04am
Is this some sort of a draconian law that since a person has diplomatic immunity he cannot be held responsible for crime leading to some one death in a host country, strange indeed.
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May 01, 2018 11:04am
These incidents aside, our traffic system, breach of traffic laws, lack of road sense and lane discipline and lack of commitment on the part of authorities to enforce traffic laws are also to blame for such unfortunate incidents.
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May 01, 2018 11:16am
Persona non grata !!!! It seems to be purposely done.
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May 01, 2018 11:25am
Diplomatic immunity = License to kill
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May 01, 2018 11:43am
There is no such immunity. Just look at accidents caused by foreign diplomats in the US in the last few years to see how the US dealt with them. Why are US diplomats in Pakistan any different? You are a diplomat, not James Bond with a license to kill.
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May 01, 2018 11:54am
Will it be possible for our government to grant immunity from any acts otherwise criminal in the country, to only those of specially American embassy employees, who would pass the tests for driving from Pakistan and who would not kill any Pakistani person(s)? They must be subjected to strict rules to avoid any future mishaps which they would carry out with impunity if not checked now. Or they should be banned from driving within our country as they think they have a license to kill on our roads.
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May 01, 2018 11:57am
What about violating the law by breaking signal and resulting to accident?
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May 01, 2018 12:15pm
Someone got killed, his family devastated and the diplomatic immunity protects the offender, strange.
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May 01, 2018 12:43pm
The two diplomats should face law the same way as any other person without any impunity.
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May 01, 2018 01:05pm
@charlie The US is a superpower and had the muscle to force the country to waive immunity for the diplomats involved.
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May 01, 2018 01:24pm
@Hassan You obiously have little understanding of what 'Diplomatic Immunity' means.
A foreign diplomat enjoying immunity from prosecution on foreign soil, could even get away with shooting a person in broad day light; rob a bank, run over a pedestrian, commit fraud, even engage in espionage against the host country. But due to bilateral agreements between two nations and recognition of diplomatic immunity by host counttry, he cannot even be arrested, much less prosecuted for his crimes. Same immunity is enjoyed by our diplomats abroad, who no doubt, get away with some infractions all the time, in the host country or elsewhere, simply because of the Diplomatic Passport they carry.
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May 01, 2018 01:35pm
Does immunity means license to kill innocent civilians? Does the U.S. follows the same rules for accidents and murders of its own citizens by the personnel of other nations' ambassadorial services? If a change is necessitated to our existing laws for bringing such criminals to be tried in our courts, these must be changed to suit the demand for safety of our citizens against such murders by the staff of other countries' embassies.
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May 01, 2018 02:00pm
Pakistan is a signatory to Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relation 1961 and is bound to protect the diplomatic immunity of all foreign diplomats.
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May 01, 2018 02:17pm
Isnt their legal obligation to obey traffic rules and laws, what kind of immunity gives you the license to run a red light and cause death. What about a diplomat doing the same in your country, lets see how you will react.
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May 01, 2018 02:21pm
If a Pakistani diplomat did the same in US he would not be spared....yet here the Pakistani government and diplomats will are more concerned about their American masters than their own citizens.
I welcome law abiding foreigners including Americians and Indians in Pakistan, however there should be no relaxation for criminals regardless of their skin color or nationality !!!!
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May 01, 2018 02:51pm
They need to be dealt like what we did with Kalbushan Yadev. No compromise on human lives.
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May 01, 2018 02:54pm
If this thing happens in US by a Pakistani doplomat than I am sure he will get a life long prison.
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May 01, 2018 03:16pm
These cowardly "diplomats" should not hide behind this fake immunity and face their day in court. Giving all their compatriots a bad name.
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May 01, 2018 03:25pm
If this had happened in the us they would have said it was a terror attack and taken them in to custody and found some way around diplomatic immunity
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May 01, 2018 03:29pm
Task staff at Pakistan embassy with diplomatic immunity in USA to plough down few pedestrians. So the law is clear on what can and cannot be done.
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May 01, 2018 03:41pm
@Sher Khan . Same applies to Pakistsni diplomats overseas too. The people died due to accidents and were not killed on purpose. Most of the readers don’t seem to accept it as the same rule will kick in when Pakistani diplomats are in similar situations overseas. You may stop issuing driving license to diplomats so they don’t drive in your country
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May 01, 2018 03:50pm
For those arguing here should read the law..
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May 01, 2018 04:30pm
Please deport them at least !
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May 01, 2018 04:34pm
The question is why such a law had been accepted? Secondly f the law was in force then why the govt had register the case? Thirdly why the govt had registered the case against the motor cyclist and make some surprises?
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May 01, 2018 05:15pm
To everyone raging here against the diplomats, take a deep breath, and repeat to yourself "they have immunity" until you get it.
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May 01, 2018 07:37pm
@Nawaz 100% agree
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May 01, 2018 09:59pm
Are these diplomats above all things even if they kill a human being ? what UN charter says about that.
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