LAHORE: A district court in Lahore on Saturday extended the pre-arrest bail of Khawaja Aqeel, also known as Gogi Butt, until September 1 in the ongoing murder investigation of Ameer Balaj, the son of the late Arif Ameer, famously known as Tippu Truckanwala. The court has directed the accused to fully cooperate with the police and join the investigation, which is being conducted at the Chung Police Station, where the case was initially filed.
Gogi Butt appeared in court under tight security arrangements, with his defense lawyer claiming that he was falsely implicated in the case due to personal enmities. The lawyer argued that the charges against him were unfounded and suggested the case was an attempt to settle scores, not based on solid evidence.
Despite previous assurances to cooperate, the investigation officer informed the court that Gogi Butt had yet to join the inquiry. In response, the judge ordered the accused to appear before the police and provide full cooperation.
Gogi Butt had initially secured temporary pre-arrest bail on August 16, expressing concerns that he would be arrested if he voluntarily approached the investigators. The court granted him relief at that time, which has now been extended.
The case has attracted significant attention due to the prominence of the victim’s family in Lahore’s transport sector. Ameer Balaj, the owner of a major goods transport network, was tragically shot during a wedding in the Chung area in February of last year. His murder sent shockwaves through the local transport community. Balaj was the son of Arif Ameer, who was also murdered in 2010 at Lahore airport, an incident that highlighted the violent rivalries within the city’s transport industry.
Gogi Butt, a prominent figure in Lahore’s business and social circles, remains protected from arrest until the next hearing scheduled for September 1. The court will review his cooperation with the police and assess whether his bail will be continued or revoked.
