LAHORE: The US officials were set to meet Pakistani-origin US citizen Khadija Shah today at Kot Lakhpat Jail after Punjab Home Department granted consular access to the PTI supporter allegedly involved in an arson attack on Jinnah House.
According to media reports, Punjab Home Department made the decision after instructions from the Ministry of Interior. The US officials will meet Khadija Shah at Kot Lakhpat Jail in the presence of the prison as well as Special Branch officials.
After receiving the US officials’ request for consular access to Shah, the Ministry of Interior issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) and directed the additional chief secretary of the Punjab Home Department to give consular access to Shah.
The directions issued by the Ministry of Interior in this regard have also been conveyed to Punjab IG Prisons and the superintendent of Kot Lakhpat Jail.
A day earlier, the US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel had said that Washington was pursuing Shah’s case and it asked the Pakistani government to grant consular access to Shah.
“She holds dual citizenship and the US always stands alert to help the US citizen wherever he or she is arrested,” said the spokesperson of the US State Department.
