Traffic killing

In a video that has now gone viral on social media, we see how the car of a member of the Balochistan Assembly mowed down a traffic policeman who is performing his duties at a busy traffic intersection of the provincial capital. The traffic constable, identified as Haji Attaullah, was run over by a car driven by Abdul Majeed Khan Achakzai, who is not only a member of the Balochistan Assembly but a leading figure of the Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP). Ironically, Achakzai is also the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the provincial assembly. This horrible accident took place at the Shaheed Faraz Sunbal Chowk in Quetta in broad daylight. The injured constable was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. While the police have confirmed that Majeed Achakzai was driving the killer vehicle, no legal action has been taken against the legislator and instead a case has been lodged against unknown persons instead. This is a miscarriage of justice and needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

The Balochistan chief minister should set an example by ensuring that justice is done. Local media has reported that the driver of the killer car was in a state of intoxication. That is possibly one of the only ways to explain the manner in which the car was moving and how it ploughed through a busy traffic intersection with no regard to life and property. In any case, the driver of the vehicle should have been detained and medical and legal formalities should have been initiated immediately. The rich and the powerful must not be allowed to get away with murder. The government should ensure that the heirs of Ataullah are not only compensated but that the murderer of their father is brought to book. For us to deny justice to Ataullah’s family will certainly affect the morale of his colleagues.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2017.

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