The prime suspect in the Ameer Balaj murder case, Khawaja Tareef Gulshan, better known as Teefi Butt, was killed in an alleged encounter with the Crime Control Department (CCD) in Punjab on Saturday.
According to police sources, the encounter occurred in Kot Sabzal, a town in Rahim Yar Khan District, while Teefi Butt was being transported by road to the CCD headquarters in Lahore.
Sources said that armed accomplices ambushed the police convoy in an attempt to free him, triggering a fierce exchange of gunfire. During the crossfire, Teefi Butt was reportedly fatally hit by bullets fired by his own associates.
His body was shifted to a morgue, while law enforcement agencies launched raids to arrest his remaining accomplices.
Teefi Butt had been extradited from Dubai just a day earlier. He, along with Khawaja Aqeel alias Gogi Butt and others, was nominated in the FIR for the targeted killing of Ameer Balaj near Thokar Niaz Beg, Lahore, on February 19, 2024.
After the murder, Teefi Butt fled abroad and was declared a proclaimed offender. The Punjab Police, through the Ministry of Interior, had sought his extradition. Following approval, Interpol red warrants were issued for his arrest and repatriation.
Teefi Butt was brought to Karachi Airport late Thursday night via a private airline and later transferred to Lahore, where he was handed over to the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the case.
Earlier, the Crime Control Department (CCD) of Punjab Police had formally sought custody of the suspect. However, the Lahore investigation police reportedly declined the request to transfer the case to the CCD.
