ISLAMABAD: The families of 22-year-old Ateeq Baig and his cousin Raheel, who were killed and injured respectively in an accident involving US Embassy’s Defence and Air Attache Colonel Joseph Emanuel Hall, were compensated financially before the diplomat was allowed to leave Pakistan last month, a local media outlet reported on Friday.
Baig was killed and Raheel was injured after the diplomat hit their motorcycle with his car in the federal capital on April 7. Baig’s family approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC), prompting the Ministry of Interior to book the diplomat for unintentional murder through rash driving and to place him on the Exit Control List (ECL).
On May 14, the diplomat was allowed to leave Pakistan, prompting backlash on social media. The victims’ families confirmed that they were taken into confidence by the authorities before the diplomat exited the country but they did not confirm being financially compensated.
On Friday, a local media outlet reported that Baig’s family was paid Rs5 million and Raheel’s family was given Rs1 million to settle the matter. This was reportedly confirmed by one of Raheel’s family members. Reportedly, it was the government and not the US Embassy that compensated the victims’ families financially for their losses.
