Loudspeaker ban : DJ Butt files acquittal application

ISLAMABAD:

A magistrate on Tuesday issued notice to the prosecution on an application seeking acquittal of DJ Butt, who rose to fame during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s sit-in last year, from a case pertaining to the violation of a loudspeaker ban.

Islamabad Assistant Commissioner Secretariat Waqas Rasheed issued notice to prosecution after the counsel for Butt, whose name is Asif Nazar, filed the application under section 249-A (power of magistrate to acquit accused at any stage) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The counsel argued that several others, including PTI chief Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s Dr Tahirul Qadri, were nominated in the case but they have not been investigated.

The counsel requested the court to acquit the suspect and also requested to recall a previous order through which non-bailable warrants of arrest were issued against Butt.

The court recalled non-bailable warrants of arrest but directed him to appear before the court at every hearing. On the previous hearing, non-bailable warrants of arrest were issued for the second time for the PTI’s former music guru after he failed to appear before the court.

The assistant commissioner’s court issued warrants for violating Section 144 and the amplifier act during the sit-in. The court had directed the police to arrest Butt and present him before the court on the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th,  2015.