Arrest warrants issued for Mahmood Khan Achakzai

QUETTA: Non-bailable arrest warrants have been issued for Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai on charges of occupying state land.

A judicial magistrate in Quetta has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Achakzai after an FIR (43) was registered against him at the Gwalmandi police station.

As soon as Mahmood Khan Achakzai announced his candidacy for president, the local administration raided his house and registered a case against him.

On March 3, 2024, the Quetta administration had raided the residence of Achakzai, which was strongly condemned by the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party.

The Quetta administration claimed to have ended Achakzai’s illegal possession of a part of state-owned land.

The party had alleged that the raid was conducted by ‘state institutions on Achakzai’s residence after he delivered a hard-hitting speech at the National Assembly.

However, Quetta’s Deputy Commissioner Saad Asad had said that the raid was conducted to reclaim a portion of land near Achakzai’s residence.

Saad Asad had alleged that the reclaimed land (measuring 2.5 kanals) had been enclosed with a boundary wall and illegally occupied by Achakzai.

He had said that the revenue staff and law enforcement agencies had taken back the illegally occupied land.

A committee led by Quetta’s Assistant Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) had been formed to identify illegal occupations on state-owned land in Balochistan, after which the local administration conducted the raid in collaboration with police and revenue department officials.

The committee had identified many places, including several government and private properties, which were allegedly illegally occupied by various individuals.

On March 4, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto condemned the raid on Achakzai’s house.