LAHORE: A senior security officer of the American embassy in Islamabad who was involved in a scuffle with a Pakistani police officer has been expelled by the government after declaring him a persona non grata.
According to well placed interior ministry sources in Islamabad, US Regional Security Officer – Johan – has been sent back to the US after being expelled by the Pakistan government for manhandling and threatening the Station House Officer (SHO) of Secretariat Police Inspector Hakim Khan. The incident took place on August 5, 2009, when the SHO concerned on his way to the British High Commission was not allowed to drive straight past the check post set up by the Americans for the visitors to their embassy. A verbal exchange of hot words was followed with threatening gestures by the US security staffer who allegedly used abusive language against Pakistan. A sharp retort by the SHO to the US staffer’s profane remark sent the latter scurrying inside the embassy to come out with a weapon in his hand. Some American officials rushing out of the embassy, however, saved the situation and took him inside.
A criminal case was subsequently registered with the Secretariat police in reply to a complaint lodged by the SHO who was manhandled and threatened by the American security official. The police report was also sent to the interior ministry to take up the matter with the Foreign Office for further action while following diplomatic procedures. Shortly afterwards, some officials of American embassy were reported to have established contact with the police to settle the issue with a request not to pursue it. The US diplomats also met senior police officers and assured them that the security staffer would be sent back to the US. Spokesman for the US embassy Richard Snelsire, when contacted, neither denied nor accepted the development.