Gullu Butt’s exoneration: Top court refuses to admit PAT’s appeal

Party was not a complainant in the FIR registered against convict

LAHORE: The Supreme Court has refused to admit the application of Pakistan Awami Tehreek against the exoneration of Shahid Aziz alias Gullu Butt.

On Saturday, the top court’s registrar in Lahore refused to entertain the plea filed by Tahirul Qadri-led PAT. He pointed out the party was not a complainant in the FIR registered against Gullu and, therefore, could not file an appeal against the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision.

The Punjab government was the original complainant of the incident and holds the right to file an appeal against Gullu’s exoneration.

Through Advocate Ishtiaq Chaudhry, PAT had termed the LHC’s decision to drop charges under the anti-terrorism law against the suspect ‘unjust’ and ‘against norms of justice’.

In the petition, the lawyer stated Gullu was caught on camera by many private television channels, breaking window panes and damaging numerous vehicles in broad daylight. His behaviour spread a wave of terror and it was unjust to drop terrorism charges against him and releasing him.

On February 9, the LHC had ordered the release of convict Gullu, who gained notoriety vandalising cars outside Minhajul Quran secretariat in Model Town in June 2014. The court ordered dropping the charges under Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 against him and releasing him after completion of his jail term.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2017.