Former MPA handed 10 years in traffic sub-inspector’s death case

The Balochistan High Court has sentenced former MPA Abdul Majeed Achakzai to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in the case involving the death of traffic sub-inspector Ataullah, overturning his earlier acquittal by a trial court.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Amir Nawaz Rana and Justice Abdul Qayyum Lehri announced the verdict while hearing an appeal against Achakzai’s acquittal in the case.

The high court set aside the September 4, 2020, decision of the Additional Sessions Judge, which had acquitted the former provincial lawmaker of the charges relating to the death of the traffic police officer.

The court convicted Achakzai under Section 320 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which deals with causing death by rash or negligent driving. It subsequently awarded him 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.

The high court also directed the former MPA to pay diyat (blood money) to the legal heirs of the deceased officer. It ordered the issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants and directed authorities to arrest Achakzai immediately and transfer him to prison to serve his sentence.

The case dates back to June 2017, when traffic sub-inspector Ataullah was run over by a vehicle allegedly driven by Abdul Majeed Achakzai in Quetta. The incident led to a criminal case against the then provincial lawmaker.

The latest ruling overturns the acquittal granted by the trial court and brings a major development in the long-running case concerning the death of the traffic police official.