Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal. Photo: File

ISLAMABAD: The United States government has assured that a probe would be initiated against its Defence and Air Attaché Colonel Emanuel Joseph, who is accused of killing a young man after running a red light in the federal capital, said Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal.

During the weekly briefing on Thursday, Dr Faisal said Joseph fled back to the US as he has diplomatic immunity just like other embassy officials in Pakistan.

However, he said they did not have details on the matter of diyat – financial compensation paid to the victim’s family.

Dr Faisal also spoke about travel restrictions on US diplomats and their families in Pakistan, saying the decision was made in response to the limitations on the movement of Pakistani diplomats in the US.

When asked why other restrictions were also imposed on US diplomats, the spokesperson said Pakistan only took back additional facilities that were given to the US officials.

According to Dr Faisal, past governments had given a number of special facilities to US diplomats in Pakistan, including permission to use tinted windows on vehicles, diplomatic licence plates on private vehicles and vice versa, and installation of communication devices.

He added only these facilities were taken back, besides the imposition of travel restrictions, but no additional limitations have been levied.

The FO spokesperson also spoke about denial of permission to Moneeza Hashmi — daughter of Pakistan’s famous poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz — to speak at an event in India. During the briefing, Dr Faisal said that not letting Hashmi speak at the event she was invited to was a condemnable act.

Hashmi, 72, was barred from participating in 15th Asia Media Summit in Delhi, and was told that the hotel where she was to stay did not have a booking in her name, her son said.

She was informed by the director of AIBD (Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development) that she would not be allowed to speak. AIBD Director Chang Jin is reported to have told her, “We were just informed that you cannot attend the conference”. She was scheduled to speak on May 10 in the 4pm session on ‘Should all good stories be commercially successful?’ along with other speakers.