The Balochistan High Court (BHC) has sentenced Abdul Majeed Achakzai to 10 years in prison in the police officer death case, a case that began with a fatal road accident in Quetta in 2017. The court also ordered him to pay diyat, which is compensation under Islamic law, to the heirs of the man who died.
A divisional bench made up of Justice Muhammad Aamir Nawaz Rana and Justice Abdul Qayyum Lehri announced the verdict. The bench accepted an appeal filed by the government against Achakzai's acquittal and formally set aside the acquittal verdict issued on September 4, 2020. The court found him guilty under Section 320 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), the country's main criminal law.
What the court ordered
The court directed authorities to issue non-bailable arrest warrants, meaning a person can be arrested without the option of bail. It also ordered his immediate arrest and transfer to prison to serve the sentence. The diyat order is separate from the prison term and is meant for the heirs of the deceased.
How the case began
The case concerns Traffic Sub-Inspector Haji Ataullah, who died on June 20, 2017, while on duty at GPO Chowk on Zarghoon Road in Quetta. According to police, he was hit by a land cruiser that was being driven rashly. Police describe him as a traffic sergeant, while the court refers to him as a sub-inspector.
CCTV footage of the incident spread widely on social media and led to a campaign demanding the arrest of the legislator, after which Achakzai was arrested on June 24. The police officer death case drew public attention for this reason. Achakzai is a close relative of Mahmood Khan Achakzai, chief of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), and was elected from the PB-13 constituency in Qilla Abdullah.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- June 20, 2017: Traffic Sub-Inspector Haji Ataullah dies near GPO Chowk in Quetta after being hit by a land cruiser, according to police.
- June 24, 2017: Achakzai is arrested after CCTV footage of the incident goes viral and draws demands for his arrest.
- September 4, 2020: An acquittal verdict is issued in favour of Achakzai.
- Later: The Balochistan High Court accepts the government's appeal, sets aside the acquittal, sentences Achakzai to 10 years and orders his arrest.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Balochistan High Court ne Abdul Majeed Achakzai ko 10 saal qaid ki saza sunayi hai. Yeh case 2017 mein Quetta mein traffic afsar Haji Ataullah ki maut se juda hai, jo ek gaari ki takkar se hui thi. Court ne unhe giraftar karke jail bhejne ka hukam diya hai aur maqtool ke warison ko diyat dene ka bhi kaha hai. Aam logon ke liye yeh faisla yaad dilata hai ke laparwahi se gaari chalane ka qanooni hisaab ho sakta hai.
