At US request, Pakistan grants detained designer Khadija Shah consular access

Pakistan has granted Khadija Shah, famed fashion designer and granddaughter of former army chief Asif Nawaz Janjua, consular access, Aaj News reported on Thursday.

Shah, a Pakistani as well as American citizen, was detained after the violence on May 9 in the aftermath of Imran Khan’s arrest.

On Tuesday, the United States called on Pakistan to grant consular access to Shah, saying that Washington has been following her case.

“Have asked Pakistani officials for consular access to her … I’ve previously said, we always urge foreign governments to allow and follow consular notifications for procedures when American citizens are detained.

“I believe Ms. Shah is a dual national, and so we continue to engage directly with the Government of Pakistan on this,” US State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel said during a press briefing.

He further said that “whenever a US citizen is arrested overseas, Washington stands ready to provide all appropriate assistance”.

What is consuar access?

Consular access is the ability of foreign nationals to have access to consulate or embassy officials of their country in another nation.

Article 36 of the Vienna Convention provides that a detained foreign national must be informed of their right to communicate with consular officials. It also grants consular officials the right to visit a detained national and to arrange for their legal representation.

Shah’s arrest

Shah, co-founder and creative director of design house Élan and a vocal Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporter, was sent to jail for 7 days by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore after being presented in court on May 24.

She had surrendered to the CCPO office in Lahore on May 23 following a manhunt for her arrest.

She was nominated in an FIR for terrorism and other charges following the attack by alleged PTI supporters on Jinnah House in Lahore on May 9, which is also the Corps Commander House.