Khadija Shah to get consular access at request of US

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to grant consular access to the US national Khadija Shah who is a prime suspect in the Jinnah House attack case, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The interior ministry has approved to grant consular access to Khadija Shah at the request of the US Embassy. The US Embassy had requested the interior ministry to seek consular access for Shah.

Earlier, the United States (US) asked Pakistan to provide consular access to its national Khadija Shah, a prime suspect in the Jinnah House attack case.

The interior ministry ordered the Punjab home department to assist the US consulate in Lahore, sources told ARY News.

READ: Khadija Shah sent to jail on judicial remand

Police had arrested the daughter of former finance minister Salman Shah and fashion designer Khadija Shah in the Jinnah House attack case on May 09. Shah went into hiding for some days to avoid her arrest after May 9 incidents.

Later, she reportedly surrendered before the SSP CIA police Malik Liaquat in Iqbal Town Lahore.

Shah on judicial remand

Earlier in the day, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) sent Khadija Shah, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist and former finance minister Dr Salman Shah’s daughter, to jail on judicial remand in the Jinnah House attack case.

READ: US seeks consular access to detained Khadija Shah

Khadija Shah and other PTI women activists were produced before the ATC Lahore by police in the Jinnah House attack case.

US seeks consular access

A day ago, US State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a press briefing, “We have followed the case of Khadija Shah and have asked the Pakistani officials for granting consular access to her.”

He also stated that whenever a US citizen is arrested overseas, “we stand ready to provide all appropriate assistance and we expect Pakistani authorities to respect all fair trial guarantees owed to these detainees.”