Another family may enter into a financial agreement
Islamabad: Muzammil Shah, 34, one of the two victims of reckless driving by a US embassy’s administrative assistant Lupersio Perez riding a non-diplomatic SUV was buried on Friday in Saidpur Village graveyard by his family members while Police officials continued to hush up the family and pressurize them to enter into a financial deal to let the American diplomat go unpunished.
Secretariat Police has registered a case in this regard according to which US diplomat, Perez is facing four counts of charges under Pakistani laws including section 320 for death in accident, 427 for negligence while driving, 337 for injuries due to accident and 427 for damaging the motorbike. Police officials seeking anonymity further revealed that since driver was found a bit drunk and was driving recklessly with headlights turned off, these charges had to be dropped on the pressure of high ups. Hosts of US embassy officials along with the people from Pakistani ministry of foreign affairs and interior were among those whom local police officials fear to name remained active in pressurizing the police to not only issue release orders of US diplomat on personal bond of an American official but not to indulge in going for medico-legal of the accused diplomat. The diplomat, sources confirmed tried to flee from the scene but was captured by passersby but was later shifted to a private hospital in Blue Area for complaining some chest pain and severe headache and was allowed to go home once the police agreed to accept his bail.
Shozab Raza,30, the second victim in the accident which happened around 9.30 pm on Thursday near Constitution Avenue and Margalla Road remains in a polyclinic hospital with hair-line fractures in knee and elbows and some bruises and doctors have declared him out of danger. Interestingly, as Perez had to be shifted to luxury hospital for complaining chest and headache, Shozab was immediately forced to leave by Poly Clinic Hospital until the relatives and CDA union members exchanged some hot words to ensure that at least he gets proper diagnostic and treatment upon which he was allowed to stay there and was given x-rays and ultimately the plasters around his fractures. Rao Sajjad Qamar, an employee of CDA said that “injured was crying with pain but doctors were insisting to shift him at his residence.”
Syed Zahoor, an eyewitness of the incident claimed that “American official was driving his vehicle at high speed while the headlights of his vehicle were off when he hit the motorbike.” Another eyewitness told that it was one Aimal, reported to be son of an MNA Muzaffar Malik of Swat who brought the injured to hospital on his own vehicle bearing registration No RU 447 and who also prevented American diplomat from fleeing the scene with the help of other passersby. The police officials at the check post near the venue of the incident showed their complete ignorance about the issue when they were approached.
Family members of the deceased youngster who was killed in a road accident by an American national on Thursday night are looking for justice as neither the American Embassy nor any government authority has contacted them yet, while the diplomatic official succeeded to get bail yesterday morning.
Chan Mohammad Shah, father of al bond of a US embassy official Muzammal, the deceased, after burying his son at Saidpur Village graveyard, told The Spokesman that no one from US embassy government authorities has approached his family yet regarding his son’s death. He further said that they only saw apology messages from American authorities on television but the embassy has not apologized or contacted them directly.
Muzammil Hussain Shah, resident of Saidpur Village and, a CDA employee working as lift operator at federal lodges and Shozab Raza resident of Rawalpindi, working as electronic engineer were riding at Margalla road near Punjab house, when they were hit from behind by an American citizen Lupersio Perez, working as an assistant in administration at American embassy, according to police officials Muzammil was sitting at the back and got seriously injured and Shozab fractured his knee and elbows while their motorbike registered, RIL-3363, was rammed into the diplomat’s jeep. The victims were shifted to Poly Clinic hospital where Muzammil lost his life after struggling for two hours due to bleeding in chest and Shozab was admitted at surgical ward. The official land cruiser of Lupersio Perez numbered as NK-927 was taken under custody by secretariat police.
Muzammil Hussain Shah, aged 34 has left behind his parents, four brothers, a widow and a daughter aged 7 years in grief.
US Embassy responds:
Meanwhile, a press statement of the US embassy Islamabad was released on Friday to confirm the involvement of its diplomat in road accident resulting in death of one biker. It read, "An accredited U.S. diplomat was involved in a road accident at approximately 9:30 PM on February 14 in the vicinity of Margalla Road and Constitution Avenue in Islamabad. The Embassy employee’s vehicle collided with a motorcycle carrying two Pakistani citizens, injuring both men. One of the individuals tragically perished as a result of his injuries." The embassy believes that second man is receiving medical treatment.
The statement further reads that U.S. Embassy employee also sustained minor injuries, was treated, and released but it did not mention that employee was intoxicated or not and that he remained in a local private hospital for some chest pain and severe headache not for any injuries, as claimed by police and some hospital officials. Neither it explained that how on personal bond the diplomat was taken home direct from hospital while local police was not even allowed to question him over the incident.
The U.S. Embassy however has extended its heartfelt condolences to the families affected by this tragedy and has assured to cooperate fully with the appropriate Pakistani authorities on the investigation. It also acknowledged that "we are working through our local insurance company to address financial questions or concerns," by expressing its deepest regret for this terrible accident, without talking to anyone from the aggrieved family. The embassy however, is busy to setttle down the issue through diplomatic route and continues to build pressure on concerned police officials to prepare ground for settling the matter through dollars with the aggrieved family. Initial offer, according to inside sources seems to be of five lakh rupees, which the family has turned down but then both police and family members are denying that any settlement is in progress.
Senior police officials avoiding to even talk on this latest hit and run issue by another diplomat revealed in private conversations that “It has been a routine that diplomats and embassy officials in the federal capital violate laws while police pressurizes the harmed citizens for a patch up.”
Hit and Run becoming a habit of Diplomats, more so for US ones:
The episode of US Consulate’s Raymond Davis can be termed as an extraordinary incident as he was involved in gun totting and shooting, otherwise it would have been hushed up in the name of diplomatic immunity. According to details the latest diplomat involved in hit and run joins the illustrious list of those who have done this in the past but managed to get away by showing diplomatic immunity card and force-shut cases by throwing dollars or visas to the victim families.
Jan 30, 2012: A Swiss diplomat, Snyveanne Moundllet, jumped a traffic signal at Radio Pakistan Chowk in her car and hit a watchman, Mahfooz, who was riding a cycle. He was taken to a nearby hospital. Soon after the treatment, police informed him that the diplomat wanted a patch-up and he has to give in writing that he didn’t want to file a case against her. Police did not arrest the women nor bothered to seize her car despite the fact that the vehicle bore an ordinary registration number.
July 25, 2010: A US diplomat killed Jawadur Rehman on Seventh Avenue.
October 28, 2010: An under secretary of the US embassy knocked down Rahmatullah, an employee of CDA. In both the cases police forced the affected citizens to make a deal.
2010-11: Notorious US contractor Raymond Davis had a very bad repute among the officials of federal police. Whenever officials wanted to check his vehicle he abused them. Police officials suspected that Davis carried weapons and a wireless set in his car but he never allowed anyone to check it. Davis joined the US marine force, but later switched over to FBI and served in Iraq and Afghanistan from where he came to Pakistan. He has been living in the country for the last 22 months. The embassy declared him a diplomat only as an afterthought and said that the Lahore police violated the Vienna Convention by arresting a diplomat.
Advocate Razzaq said according to Pakistan’s law a case could be filed against a diplomatic agent if he indulged in any activity outside his official functions. He said Vienna Convention required diplomats that it was duty of all persons enjoying privileges and immunities to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state.
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