Ex-MPA Achakzai freed in policeman murder case

QUETTA: A local court on Friday acquitted former Balochistan MPA Majeed Khan Achakzai in a case regarding the death of a traffic warden over three years ago.

Judge Dost Muhammad Mandokhail of a model court acquitted the former chairman of the provincial Public Accounts Committee due to lack of evidence. The court's detailed judgement has not been issued yet.

Achakzai was arrested days after as his vehicle hit and ran over traffic warden Haji Attaullah at Quetta's GPO Chowk in June 2017. The warden suffered serious injuries and later died at a hospital.

Initially, police registered a case of accident against unidentified persons. But after the CCTV footage of the accident went viral on social media and was repeatedly shown by TV channels, Balochistan police decided to lodge a murder case against the former MPA, who belongs to Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).

However, he was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) six months later and had been out of jail since then. On Friday, Achakzai appeared before the court as the judge announced the verdict. After his arrest, terrorism charges were included in the first information report (FIR) lodged against the former lawmaker.