The Balochistan High Court has sentenced former provincial lawmaker Abdul Majeed Achakzai to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in the case involving the death of traffic police Sub-Inspector Haji Attaullah, setting aside his acquittal by a trial court in 2020.
A divisional bench comprising Justice Muhammad Aamir Nawaz Rana and Justice Abdul Qayyum Lehri accepted the government’s appeal against Achakzai’s acquittal and declared the trial court’s September 4, 2020, decision null and void.
The high court found Abdul Majeed Achakzai guilty under Section 320 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) in connection with the death of the traffic police official.
The court also directed Achakzai to pay diyat (compensation under Islamic law) to the legal heirs of the deceased police officer.
In its decision, the Balochistan High Court ordered the issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants for Achakzai and directed authorities to arrest him immediately.
The court further ordered that the accused, who was previously on bail, be taken into custody and sent to prison to serve his sentence.
The ruling overturns the acquittal granted to Achakzai by the trial court on September 4, 2020, following the government’s challenge to the decision.
The case concerns the death of Traffic Sub-Inspector Haji Attaullah. Achakzai faced proceedings over the incident, which resulted in the death of the police official.
The high court’s decision marks a significant development in the long-running case, as the government successfully challenged the earlier acquittal and secured a conviction and prison sentence.
The court’s directions for immediate arrest and payment of diyat were also part of the verdict.
The judgment was delivered by the divisional bench of the Balochistan High Court comprising Justice Muhammad Aamir Nawaz Rana and Justice Abdul Qayyum Lehri.
