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A judicial magistrate on Saturday remanded Balochistan legislator Majeed Khan Achakzai to police custody for five days.
A traffic sergeant, Haji Attaullah, was run over and killed near Quetta's GPO Chowk earlier this week when a vehicle allegedly belonging to the legislator ran him over.
The incident had come to light when footage of the legislator's vehicle ramming into the traffic officer began circulating on social media on Friday.
The legislator's vehicle had been speeding, police said.
Police had arrested Achakzai from his residence in the Satellite Town area of Quetta Friday night following a campaign on social media mounting pressure on the government to arrest him.
Police produced Achakzai, who belongs to the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), before a judicial magistrate on Saturday, who remanded the accused to police custody for five days.
Before he was remanded, Achakzai had confessed to his involvement in the accident and claimed to have agreed to compensate the family members of the slain traffic policeman, Deputy Inspector General of Police Razzaq Cheema said.
"The law will take its course if the legislator fails to convince the family," Cheema added.
Achakzai, an elected MPA for Balochistan from the PB-13 Killa Abdullah district, lashed out at "certain elements" who he claimed had declared him a criminal prior to a trial in court.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (71) Closed
Jun 24, 2017 05:04pm
Thanks to Social Media otherwise such incidents were never reported or hushed away
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Jun 24, 2017 05:10pm
Question is was he driving the car?
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Jun 24, 2017 05:17pm
This is why the corrupt and uneducated Politicians resent Social Media. It strips them in front of the whole Nation. This man the MPA must be punished and expelled by his Party and Assembly. You won't hear a word from Nawaz Sharif, the party head.
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Jun 24, 2017 05:23pm
He should be punished for the intentional MURDER instead of calling it an ACCIDENT-there should be no jirga etc. He should be treated as a criminal and treated accordingly- these so called big guys think they can get away due to the power of their wealth. He should be imprisoned for killing the cop plus he should be fined heavily to compensate the family of the deseased.
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Jun 24, 2017 05:28pm
This is the reason some people hate social media
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Jun 24, 2017 05:35pm
Paying the deceased family members in order not to get punishment should be abolished
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Jun 24, 2017 05:37pm
I AM 100% sure either he was in any kind of drug influence.or he did not care at all about a human life. He should be prosecuted in militry court
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Jun 24, 2017 05:38pm
Thanks to Social Media otherwise this been going on for decades particularly in Baluchistan, interior Sindh and Punjab for decades. This corrupt, arrogant feudalistic Mind set needs to be defeated and time has come.
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Jun 24, 2017 05:39pm
@JKhan read the article again, he is not from PMLN.
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Jun 24, 2017 05:41pm
It's appears as a murder, not an accident.
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Jun 24, 2017 05:43pm
I am afraid he will "convince" the family to accept blood money and go scot free. Even if he pays blood money, he should face some punishment in form of jail term and disqualification from public office
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Jun 24, 2017 05:45pm
He deserves to be punished. My prays with the victim. Hope his sacrifice bring justice and goodness in country #JusticeForAll
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Jun 24, 2017 05:54pm
He killed the poor policeman. The law should take its course, the accused should be punished. This attitude of giving money whenever you murder someone is making everyone with money a bit more daring.
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Jun 24, 2017 05:58pm
The media is doing a great job. Seeing the footage on TV it looked like this MPA was not in his senses or under the influence of drink the way he came and hit the shaheed.. He should be locked in for long time and judiciary should ensure that he really under remand and has not been allowed home
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Jun 24, 2017 05:58pm
@Farukh Khawaja if he did not then why would he confessed ?
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Jun 24, 2017 05:59pm
Power of social media is contributing to social justice all over the world.
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Jun 24, 2017 06:03pm
The incident falls in the category of "Hit and Run" ( If it is, what has been reported) which is non-bailable offence. Though according to the news media the accused has been arrested ( which I doubt, may be it is so called arrest) still it is a good sign that Law is equally applied. Public has the right to know the circumstances under which the Police Officer on duty was run down. If the officer has signal him to stop and Mr. Achakzai, instead of putting his foot on the break, he run down the officer. Then it is a more serious crime.
One can hope that the matter is properly investigated. So far compensation is concerned, it can only be applied when the incident is proved to be an accident. Otherwise the accused, if proven guilty, must be punished.
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Jun 24, 2017 06:04pm
@JKhan, Does this MPA belong to Nawaz Sharif's party?
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Jun 24, 2017 06:05pm
The main question and the first question is was he the driver? And that I don't see answered anywhere and if he was not the driver, his arrest is unjustified and oppressive.
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Jun 24, 2017 06:10pm
He is a politician so must be innocent.
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Jun 24, 2017 06:10pm
As long as out of court settlement continues, rich and influential will continue to benefit and the poor and powerless will continue to get humiliated.
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Jun 24, 2017 06:13pm
Being influential and powerful is understood in Pakistan as we are above law.But in the presence of active social media it seem that these days are gone.The same is happening in Defence and Clifton area of Karachi by these reckless drivers.
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Jun 24, 2017 06:18pm
So easy. Buy the family. And go free with a victory sign. Money talks.
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Jun 24, 2017 06:24pm
family should not accept any compensation and this guy should be punish exemplary.
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Jun 24, 2017 06:28pm
In the history of Pakistan, rich and powerfuls have been keep running over the poor and weaks without any significant penalty. This time won't be any different, & this achakzai would probalby win the next election as well.
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Jun 24, 2017 06:36pm
@Farukh Khawaja even if he was, he wasnt. We all know how this works
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Jun 24, 2017 06:36pm
He will come out clean-smile,such people know how to play with law. Let's wait and see. Regards.
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Jun 24, 2017 06:37pm
Same story. Poor police will take the money and pardon
him and he will go free. This is not justice. Every rich
man goes free. He should spent time in jail and compensate.I saw the video he never tried to miss him.
He deliberately ran into him. Hopefully police will produce tire marks to show he never braked before hitting.
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Jun 24, 2017 06:37pm
Why does it have to be a social media viral before our law enforcement agencies come into action?
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Jun 24, 2017 06:40pm
Jail him for life.
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Jun 24, 2017 06:44pm
It is an heinous crime. This person should not allowed to take refuge in sharia law.
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Jun 24, 2017 07:00pm
A rich politician offering compensation even before being tried to know what the family of Atta Ullah would like. Shame that these feudal equates life with money for the poor. I hope he is dealt with stern hands of law and treated like a criminal given that driving over a cop in day light while overspending is a heinous crime.
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Jun 24, 2017 07:02pm
When brought to the Court, the MPA was not hand cuffed, further the FIR has been registered against unknown people to weaken the case. The body language of the MPA proved that he is not guilty of his act. Infact he was scolding the media guys infront of the camera. To cut it short nothing is gonna happen.
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Jun 24, 2017 07:06pm
It's simple, isn't it? If he was driving the vehicle treat him as per the law. If he wasn't let him go. The rest would only be the manipulation of our fragile justice system..I wish this case didn't remind us of Salman Khan saga!
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Jun 24, 2017 07:12pm
Nothing will happen. The system is paralyzed. Such rich, corrupt savages form our government. Is this the Pakistan Allama Iqbal dreamt of.
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Jun 24, 2017 07:26pm
Remanded in police custody, bail on the way, out of court settlement will happen, all parties will be happy as per news papers but my dear traffic warden will not come back, his family will suffer, his kids will look for their father, but happy ending for the ruling elite.
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Jun 24, 2017 08:13pm
@Anti-corruption what other option is there when everyone else remains silent??
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Jun 24, 2017 08:19pm
Good news! Now get PML-N MNA Shaikh Rohail Asghar also. He drove into hut of a poor labourer one night somewhere between Islamabad and Rawalpindi and the victim got killed. This criminal politician ran away from the crime scene and on identification first denied the incident and later presented his driver as culprit and responsible for this crime. Get this MNA of PML-N for hit and run, manslaughter and also obstruction of justice and forcing the poor driver to stand for this corrupt man. There must be a suo motto action but our Supreme Court and all such powerful criminals, law must be allowed to rake Its course and this Shaikh is brought to justice.
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Jun 24, 2017 08:21pm
No doubt about his criminal behaviour and VIP mindset. In the first place he should have had the moral courage to get down and evacuate the victim to the hospital rather than running from the scene like a coward.Now when he is caught he should face the law honourably rather than getting bailed out by his powerful uncles sitting in the Governor House and the Parliament.
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Jun 24, 2017 08:28pm
@Shdhsn he is an Achackzai which implies he is PML N employee like his leader of that House. Mahmood is also an Achackzai if you're so sensitive about noon League. His brother is another employee as Governor of the Province.
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Jun 24, 2017 08:29pm
So what is a traffic warden's life worth in Pakistan today? Social media is doing much good in Pakistan (not forgetting its negative side) but unless the common pakistani man stands up to such injustice and does something about it, their worth will be measured in rupees.
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Jun 24, 2017 08:29pm
@M. Siddique please see my reply to a comment above.
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Jun 24, 2017 08:31pm
@Usman Ali, JIT has already expressed similar doubt.
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Jun 24, 2017 08:44pm
This man has taken a life of an innocent and it is trial case for our courts. Lets see if things have changed at all and will he be taken down like that poor man.
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Jun 24, 2017 08:58pm
"The law will take its course if the legislator fails to convince the family," Cheema added.
Seriously.......
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Jun 24, 2017 09:01pm
what to compensate family, stop this nonsense so that rich and powerful get unpunished. Revoke his MPA status, disqualify him for life. Otherwise Pakistan is a failed state, no doubt.
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Jun 24, 2017 09:06pm
Hit and run? The good side of social media
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Jun 24, 2017 09:07pm
Nothing will happen to this person. He made a woman widow and many children Yateem. What is the life of an ordinary person in Pakistan? He can be decimated like a cockroach and no consequences for his MURDERER.
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Jun 24, 2017 09:18pm
That video I saw was blatantly gruesome
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Jun 24, 2017 09:21pm
You kill a man in broad daylight and you are furious that people are calling you a criminal. You have some audacity! and people are wrong, you are not a criminal, you are a killer. Now your goons will coax the poor guy's family to forgive you and you will be out soon to do the same to some other poor fellow.
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Jun 24, 2017 09:23pm
Criminal prior to court???? He confessed, did he not! He should be jailed for driving recklessly as well. If the policeman had run him over, i am sure his family would not forget the police man??? Where oh s the justice in that!
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Jun 24, 2017 09:24pm
@Naheem: Not only that he should be punished severely he must pay the family so that they may lead a normal,life without going through hardship of life to come
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Jun 24, 2017 09:30pm
Dont fool yourself to expect any justice...just check what happened to all those similar cases in recent past..
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Jun 24, 2017 09:44pm
This is an act of terrorism. He should be tried in military court and given nothing other than capital punishment.
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Jun 24, 2017 09:45pm
@Syed Zafar Kazmi U.S.A
It doesn't matter, assume he was a driver, he will never accept it, and present scapegoat driver...
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Jun 24, 2017 09:46pm
@Farukh Khawaja Answer is: he admitted to it himself. Satisfied.
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Jun 24, 2017 09:47pm
The incident had come to light when footage of the legislator's vehicle ramming into the traffic officer began circulating on social media on Friday. Otherwise it would have been hushed up under the carpet.
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Jun 24, 2017 09:59pm
I saw the video is this for real how some one can do that what exuse you have after this
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Jun 24, 2017 10:08pm
Good Show, No one is beyond the law. Everyone is accountable before the law. This case should be taken as an example to avoid such incidents in the future.
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Jun 24, 2017 10:09pm
@Farukh Khawaja he confessed
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Jun 24, 2017 10:34pm
Mark my word sooner or later he will walk away free!
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Jun 24, 2017 10:43pm
Now watch all the politicians get together....to protect one of their own.
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Jun 24, 2017 10:49pm
In such brutal killing, the accused should be tried for murder and there should be no compromise. The DIG should be aware that some day he will be for sure run over by arrogant feudal. The government should properly compensate the vicitim's family.
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Jun 24, 2017 10:53pm
We should not comment on any issue without knowing the facts. However; it is important to note that social media has become very important part of lives.
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Jun 24, 2017 10:58pm
Thanks Dawn newspaper otherwise he could have not been arrested.
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Jun 24, 2017 11:10pm
Don't know why the city have deployed CCTV cameras if they were not used for their intended purpose?
The city should have gotten on top of this incident before Social Media did.
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Jun 24, 2017 11:10pm
Did his party leader issue any statement?
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Jun 24, 2017 11:23pm
@JKhan this not nawaz s party . He belonged to achakzi pkmap
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Jun 25, 2017 12:11am
He has committed a heinous crime.he killed the man who was there to protect people from such like incidents and keep peace.
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Jun 25, 2017 12:13am
At the end of it all only God will do justice and his justice is final. This man had a family and the loss they must feel must make angles cry. At least this MPA had the courage to admit his guilt.
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Jun 25, 2017 01:16am
I don't understand the settlement of what he killed a guy and Law follow the punishment. it has nothing to do with victim family. if Law wants people to settle their dispute by them self then why we have the law. Powerful people get away from these things and poor people stuck in the name of Justice.
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