2017 hit-and-run case: BHC hands ex-MPA Majeed Achakzai 10-year term

QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Tuesday overturned the acquittal of former provincial lawmaker Majeed Khan Achakzai in a 2017 hit-and-run case, sentencing him to 10 years in prison for the death of traffic sergeant Haji Attaullah.

A divisional bench comprising Justice Muhammad Amir Nawaz Rana and Justice Abdul Qayyum Lehri accepted the government’s appeal and set aside the September 4, 2020 acquittal order issued by a local court in Quetta.

The high court found Achakzai guilty under Section 320 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), sentencing him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. It also ordered him to pay diyat (compensation) to the deceased’s legal heirs.

The bench further directed the issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants and ordered authorities to take Achakzai, who was out on bail, into custody immediately and send him to prison.

The incident occurred in June 2017, when a vehicle struck traffic sergeant Attaullah at Quetta’s GPO Chowk while he was performing his duties. The officer sustained critical injuries and later died during treatment at Civil Hospital Quetta.

The incident attracted widespread attention after footage of the collision surfaced on social media.
Police subsequently identified the vehicle as belonging to Achakzai, who was then a Balochistan MPA representing the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), led by Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the current Opposition Leader in the National Assembly and head of the multi-party opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP).

The former lawmaker was arrested following the incident. He acknowledged driving the vehicle and expressed willingness to compensate the victim’s family. The case initially proceeded against unidentified individuals before criminal charges were brought against him.

Terrorism-related provisions were also added to the case but were later removed on a court order. The matter was subsequently transferred to a model court for trial.

In September 2020, a local court acquitted Achakzai, who had also served as chairman of the provincial Public Accounts Committee (PAC), citing insufficient evidence. The government challenged that decision, leading to the latest high court ruling overturning his acquittal and imposing a prison sentence.