US Defence and Air Attaché Col Joseph Emanuel Hall, who ran over a biker in Islamabad, will be tried in the United States, the Foreign Office said on Thursday in an attempt to explain his sudden departure from Pakistan.

FO Spokesperson Dr Faisal, while answering a question in his weekly briefing, said that the diplomat could not have been tried in Pakistan because of his diplomatic immunity and was allowed to leave on the assurance that he would be tried in his home country, Radio Pakistan reported.

On April 7, Col Hall had jumped a red light at the Daman-i-Koh Chowk in Islamabad and hit a motorcycle. As a result, two riders of the motorcycle had suffered injuries, and one of them, 22-year-old Ateeq Baig, had later expired from the trauma.

Col Hall had initially avoided arrest because of his diplomatic immunity, but a first information report (FIR) regarding the incident had been registered at the Kohsar Police Station.

He left Pakistan earlier this week, days after the Islamabad High Court ruled that the US diplomat did not have "absolute immunity".

The FO spokesperson today also confirmed that travel restrictions on American diplomats in Pakistan and Pakistani diplomats in US were now in place with both now requiring prior permission to travel beyond 25 miles of where they are stationed.

He also regretted that Moneeza Hashmi, a daughter of Faiz Ahmad Faiz, was not allowed to address an event in India despite being invited as a guest speaker.

He reiterated that Pakistan believes in a two-state solution of the Palestine dispute in accordance with UN resolutions and informed that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will be attending the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Turkey to discuss the Israeli attack on Palestinian protesters in Gaza that killed 60.

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