Gullu Butt, the infamous baton-wielding man caught vandalising property during violence in Model Town in 2014, was released from Kot Lakhpat jail on Monday, prison sources told Dawn.

Shahid Aziz, alias Gullu Butt, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Oct 30, 2014 under five sections of laws and fined Rs100,000.

Gullu Butt was accused of rowdyism, obstructing public servants in discharge of official duties, and smashing private vehicles with a club outside Minhajul Quran Secretariat in Model Town on June 17, 2014 when a heavy police contingent was engaged with protesting workers of Dr Tahirul Qadri.

Police personnel had not stopped Butt from his illegal activities rather acted as silent spectator and facilitated him.

A division bench of the Lahore High Court earlier in Feb quashed Butt's sentence, upholding his conviction under provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The maximum punishment the court had awarded to Butt was five-year jail term under Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.

Read more: LHC quashes Gullu Butt’s penalty under ATA

He was given three months under Section 186 of the PPC, two years under Section 353 of the PPC, two years under Section 427 of the PPC and two years under Section 506 of the PPC.

As the punishment was to run concurrently, Butt was due to come out of jail after undergoing the five-year sentence (the maximum penalty), and would be a free man when the LHC set aside the term under Section 7 of the ATA and he had completed his maximum imprisonment of two years under the PPC.

Opinion

Rule by law

Rule by law

‘The rule of law’ is being weaponised, taking on whatever meaning that fits the political objectives of those invoking it.

Editorial

Isfahan strikes
20 Apr, 2024

Isfahan strikes

THE Iran-Israel shadow war has very much come out into the open. Tel Aviv had been targeting Tehran’s assets for...
President’s speech
20 Apr, 2024

President’s speech

PRESIDENT Asif Ali Zardari seems to have managed to hit all the right notes in his address to the joint sitting of...
Karachi terror
20 Apr, 2024

Karachi terror

IS urban terrorism returning to Karachi? Yesterday’s deplorable suicide bombing attack on a van carrying five...
X post facto
Updated 19 Apr, 2024

X post facto

Our decision-makers should realise the harm they are causing.
Insufficient inquiry
19 Apr, 2024

Insufficient inquiry

UNLESS the state is honest about the mistakes its functionaries have made, we will be doomed to repeat our follies....
Melting glaciers
19 Apr, 2024

Melting glaciers

AFTER several rain-related deaths in KP in recent days, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority has sprung into...