LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench on Tuesday issued a notice to the Punjab prosecution department on an application of Shahid Aziz alias Gullu Butt, a convict in Model Town case, for suspension of his sentence and grant of bail.

An anti-terrorism court had on Oct 30, 2014, handed him down a collective sentence of 11 years and three months under different sections of law. The court had also imposed Rs140,100 fine on the convict.

Read: LHC accepts Gullu Butt’s appeal against conviction

During an anti-encroachment operation outside the residence of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri in June last year, Butt audaciously vandalised cars parked outside the premises and the police personnel just looked on. The whole episode was captured in a footage aired by various TV channels.

In his appeal, the convict stated that the police implicated him in the case on political pressure. He said the government also influenced trial of the case.

Also read: Gullu Butt sentenced to 11 years in prison

The bench issued a notice to the prosecution department and sought complete record of the case for next hearing.

GOVT PLEA: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday adjourned hearing of a Punjab government appeal seeking quashment of an FIR registered against Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq during Musharraf regime.

The prosecution department filed the appeal pleading that Lohari Gate police had registered two cases against the PML-N MNA in 2004 under Anti-Terrorism Act and other sections of the laws.

The department said the cases were politically motivated and no witness testified in the cases so far. It asked the court to restrain trial court from holding proceedings in the cases and direct the police to quash the cases.

On court’s direction, the SHO presented record of the case. The court adjourned hearing till April 27 and sought arguments from the prosecution departments’ counsel.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2015

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