ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday admitted for regular hearing a petition seeking a travel ban on the US diplomat who was involved in a road accident during which one biker was 1(illed and another was injured.

Petitioner Mohammad Idrees, the father of 22-year-old Ateeq Baig who was killed in the accident, has asked the court to put the name of US Defence and Air Attaché Col Joseph Emanuel Hall on the exit control list (ECL). IHC Justice Aamer Farooq issued notices to the station house officer of the Kohsar police station, inspector general of police (IGP) Islamabad and secretary interior and sought their reply.

Col Hall on April 7 jumped a red light at Daman-i-Koh Chowk and hit a motorcycle on which two men were travelling. Ateeg Baig was killed while his cousin Raheel Ahmed suffered multiple injuries.

Video footage of the accident shows that the petitioner`s son was killed due to rash driving by Col Hall and according to bystanders, the accused also appeared to be heavily intoxicated, the petition says. The petitioner counsel Advocate Mirza Shahzad Akbar said that on April 7, instead of registering an FIR as required by law, the police only made an entry, commonly known as rappat, regarding the incident.

The Kohsar police finally registered an FIR against the accused under media pressure. The petitioner contended that the police have made no sincere effort to conclude the investigation of the FIR. No efforts have been made to trace and arrest the accused whom the police itself allowed to escape the site once he informed them that he was an employee of the US Embassy.

The petitioner has said that federal government is empowered under section 2 of the Exit from Pakistan (Control) Ordinance, 1981 to `prohibit any person or class of persons from proceeding from Pakistan to a destination outside Pakistan, notwithstanding the fact that such person is in possession of valid travel documents.

The usage of the term `person` in the statute makes it clear that that power of the federal government to put persons on ECL extends to foreigners and citizens alike, the petition says.He has asked that Col Hall`s name be put on the ECL till the conclusion of the trial.

Cancelling driving licence Meanwhile, a case for cancelling Col Hall`s driving licence was sent to the Central Police Office for action by the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP).

Police officials told Dawn that the investigation officer in the case approached ITP with a request for cancelling the driving licence issued to Col Joseph Emanuel Hall.

ITP sent the case to the office of the IGP Islamabad for action and decision, the police officials said.

The IGP will approach the interior ministry which will through the Foreign Office get a version or statement from the diplomat over the matter.

Col Hall`s licence was issued on Oct 5, 2017 with an expiry date of Oct 4, 2022, for driving motorcars and jeeps.