According to a report by The News, a delegation of United States officials visited Kot Lakhpat Jail on Friday to meet Khadija Salman Shah, a prominent fashion designer and activist of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. The discussions during the meeting centered around the release of Shah, who is also a US citizen and had been arrested for her alleged involvement in the arson of Lahore Corp Commander House (Jinnah House) during violent protests on May 9.
Shah had previously been granted consular access at the request of US officials, following which she was placed in judicial remand for 14 days along with other detained female activists and leaders. The meeting, which lasted for approximately an hour, focused on the legal aspects pertaining to Shah’s release.
It is worth mentioning that the Ministry of Interior had authorized the US consul general in Lahore to access Shah due to her dual citizenship. This facilitated the meeting between the US officials and the detained PTI activist, enabling discussions on her case and possible avenues for resolution.
State Department spokesman Vedant Patel confirmed Shah’s dual nationality and stated that the US officials had requested consular access to her. He further emphasized that whenever a US citizen is arrested abroad, the United States stands ready to provide appropriate assistance and expects the host country’s authorities to uphold fair trial guarantees for these detainees. Patel also hinted that additional US citizens had been detained in the same context.
