Pakistan restricts US diplomats’ movement
Islamabad moves as Pakistanis face similar curbs in US
Pakistan on Friday issued a new travel permission regime for the United States’ diplomats across the country.
The decision has been taken reciprocating to travel permission regime introduced by the US government on Pakistani diplomats and officials, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
A letter issued by the ministry of foreign affairs to the embassy of the United States says that the US diplomatic cargo at Pakistani airports and ports will be strictly treated in accordance with the provisions of Article 27 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which does not provide for an exemption from scanning.
The letter says the rules governing interaction between Pakistan government officials and foreign diplomats, which were shared with the US embassy on April 27, will be strictly implemented.
The letter states that the US Embassy and Consulates in Pakistan will no longer avail facilities of using tainted glass
on official vehicles and rented transport; nondiplomatic number plates on official vehicles; diplomatic number planes on unspecified and rented vehicles; and the facility of biometrically unverified or unregistered cell phone SIMs.
It says the facilities of hiring or shifting of rented properties without prior no objection certificate and overshooting visa validity periods and having
multiple passports will also not be available to the US diplomats forthwith.
The letter says Pakistan had undertaken every possible action to address the issue of alleged harassment, including establishing a fast- track mechanism to address any future complaints.
The letter further says the US Embassy was apprised of the mechanism on 27th of the last month, and no incident has since been reported under the new mechanism.
It says that despite that the foreign affairs ministry was informed that the new travel permission regime is going to be implemented for Pakistani diplomats and officials in the United States from Friday, May 11.
The latest escalation in a tense bilateral dispute stemms from a fatal traffic incident in early April. A US diplomat, the military attache, allegedly ran a red light while driving an SUV in Islamabad and hit a motorcycle, killing the driver and injuring a passenger.
The father of the dead motorcyclist, identified as Ateeq Baig, 22, sought to have Col. Joseph Emanuel Hall arrested and brought to trial before the Islamabad high court, but U. S. officials said he could not be arrested or tried, because of diplomatic immunity.
There were reports in Pakistani media that Hall was drunk, but the U. S. Embassy denied them. Hall remains at the embassy and has made no public statements.