A court on Saturday asked the police to submit a formal charge sheet by May 19 against the FBI agent arrested for carrying bullets and a knife at Karachi airport.
Reports said the session’s judge in Karachi granted more time for the police after they made a request. The FBI agent Joel Cox Eugene was arrested by airport security officials for carrying 9 mm calibre bullets, a magazine and a knife. He was to board a flight from Karachi to Islamabad. He was released on a surety of Rs one million on Thursday.
Earlier, the ministry of foreign affairs clarified that he did not enjoy diplomatic immunity. At the weekly briefing on Thursday, spokesperson Ms Tasnim Aslam said that the matter is under investigation and the Karachi police officials have already given some preliminary details. The agent who was remanded to judicial custody was released on bail on Thursday.
Further investigations are ongoing, Ms Aslam said and he was not a diplomat and therefore, had no immunity. “He is here on a short term visit visa and his visa is valid. Since the investigations are still continuing, I would not venture into speculations,” she said. “The US authorities are in contact with us both in Washington and in Islamabad. Consular access was requested and it was granted. That’s where the matter stands at the moment. He was not here under any agreement. He came for temporary duty at the Embassy,” she pointed out.
On the question of whether diplomats are allowed to carry weapons, she said she would have to check with the Protocol Division. “But I don’t think that diplomats are supposed to carry weapons,” she added.
