Abdul Majeed Achakzai Gets 10-Year Sentence
The Balochistan High Court has sentenced former MPA Abdul Majeed Achakzai to 10 years in prison for the death of a traffic policeman in a hit-and-run incident in Quetta in 2017.
A division bench of the court set aside the acquittal handed down by a local court in 2020 and convicted the former lawmaker under the law on death caused by rash or negligent driving. The court also ordered him to pay diyat, or blood money, to the family of the policeman who died.
The bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Amir Nawaz Rana and Justice Abdul Qayyum Lehr, allowed an appeal filed by the provincial government against the acquittal. It directed the Additional Sessions Judge-VI in Quetta to issue non-bailable warrants for Achakzai’s immediate arrest.
Abdul Majeed Achakzai: from acquittal to conviction
Traffic Sub-Inspector Haji Attaullah was killed in June 2017 when a fast-moving vehicle hit him at GPO Chowk in Quetta. He was on duty at the busy junction at the time. Achakzai was returning from the Balochistan Assembly after attending a session when the vehicle struck the policeman.
Attaullah suffered serious injuries in the collision and later died in hospital. Police first registered a case against unidentified persons. The position changed after CCTV footage of the incident spread on social media and was shown repeatedly on television channels. Balochistan police then lodged a manslaughter case against the former MPA, who belongs to the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).
Achakzai was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court six months later. In September 2020, a local court in Quetta acquitted him in the case. Quetta police then filed an appeal against the acquittal, and that appeal has now succeeded after more than six years.
The conviction rests on Section 320 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which covers qatl-i-khata, or unintentional killing, by rash or negligent driving. The provision allows a prison term along with diyat, a payment made to the legal heirs of the person who died. The court ordered both in this case.
Why the verdict matters in Balochistan
The sentence closes a case that has run for more than nine years and touched on questions of privilege, evidence and accountability. The incident was caught on camera, and the footage shaped public debate from the start. Yet the case still took years to move through the courts, from the first police report to the acquittal and then the appeal.
Achakzai is a close relative of opposition leader and PkMAP chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai. He was elected to the Balochistan Assembly twice and served as a minister in the provincial cabinet. He also chaired the assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, the body that scrutinises government spending.
The verdict comes as Balochistan’s public spending faces fresh scrutiny, with the provincial Public Accounts Committee flagging Rs12.11 billion in irregular spending. The province has also been in the news this week after the government lifted a ban on the sale of urea in 17 more districts.
Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, a senior judge from Balochistan, recently called for unity to restore peace in the province. Quetta itself is set for a new cardiac hospital, which is nearing completion this month.
The court’s order for non-bailable warrants means Achakzai can be arrested at once. The diyat order gives the family of the traffic policeman a formal claim for compensation. Dawn reported the court’s decision on Tuesday.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Abdul Majeed Achakzai?
He is a former member of the Balochistan Assembly from the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party. He was elected twice, served as a provincial minister and chaired the assembly’s Public Accounts Committee.
What sentence did the Balochistan High Court hand down?
The court sentenced him to 10 years in prison under Section 320 of the Pakistan Penal Code for qatl-i-khata by rash or negligent driving. It also ordered him to pay diyat to the legal heirs of the policeman who died.
Who was the policeman killed in the incident?
Traffic Sub-Inspector Haji Attaullah was hit by a fast-moving vehicle at GPO Chowk in Quetta in June 2017 while on duty. He died in hospital from his injuries.
Why was the case reopened after an acquittal?
A local court acquitted Achakzai in September 2020. The provincial government appealed against that decision, and the Balochistan High Court has now allowed the appeal and set the acquittal aside.
What happens next?
The court has directed the Additional Sessions Judge-VI in Quetta to issue non-bailable warrants for Achakzai’s immediate arrest.
