LAHORE: Shahid Aziz alias Gullu Butt was released from Kot Lakhpat Central Jail on Monday evening following his acquittal orders issued by the Lahore High Court (LHC) last month.

Butt’s family members and friends showered rose petals on him when he came out of the jail.

An anti-terrorism court had awarded a collective punishment of 11 years and three months imprisonment to Gullu Butt under five sections of laws on Oct 30, 2014.

The maximum punishment was five-year jail under section 7 of Anti Terrorism Act, 1997. He was handed down three-month imprisonment under section 186 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), and two years each under sections 353, 427 and 506 of PPC. As the punishment was to run concurrently, Butt was due to come out of jail after undergoing maximum penalty of five years.

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

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

Gullu Butt had challenged his conviction before Lahore High Court and a two-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Tariq Abbasi allowed his appeal.

The LHC bench later quashed Gullu Butt’s sentence awarded under ATA while upheld his conviction under provisions of PPC.

As the high court had set aside the five-year term as per ATA and he completed his maximum imprisonment of two years under the PPC, Gullu Butt was released.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2017