Lahore’s underworld war: Tipu Trukanawala and Teefi Butt gangs beyond ‘Police Control’

Lahore: The underworld gangs that have been active in Lahore, Punjab, have once again made headlines in recent months and have taken this old feud to new heights.

The decades-long rivalry between two major underworld gangs of Lahore, Tipu Truckanwala and Teefi-Gogi Butt duo, took a disturbing new turn when Ameer Balaj, the son of Tipu Truckanwala, was killed at a wedding ceremony in Lahore, and the attacker was instantly killed on the spot.

Later, the Lahore police arrested Ameer Balaj’s close friend, Ahsan Shah, accusing him of aiding and coordinating in the murder. However, a few days back Ahsan Shah was also killed in an alleged police encounter.

An FIR for Ameer Balaj’s murder was filed, naming his rivals, Teefi Butt and Gogi Butt, as suspects.

Legal experts suggest that the case has weakened significantly due to the death of Ahsan Shah in the police encounter and the immediate killing of the shooter at the scene.

It is important to note that CIA Police Sub-Inspector Shakeel Butt was present at the scene of Ameer Balaj’s murder. Last week, it was also Shakeel Butt who arranged for Ahsan Shah to be released from jail for further investigation. Ahsan Shah’s family is now demanding an inquiry into these events.

As this demand gained momentum on social media, an audio tape surfaced on Thursday, allegedly featuring Ahsan Shah telling his wife, “I’ll be out soon, and I have a surprise for the person who got me arrested.”

Following this, a case of conspiracy to commit murder was filed by Sub-Inspector Shakeel Butt against Ahsan Shah’s wife, Teefi Butt, and Gogi Butt. Previously, the report of Ahsan Shah’s alleged police encounter was also filed against his brother.

The Role of the Police The ever-changing facts in this complex underworld rivalry in Lahore have strengthened the perception that the police are “playing on both sides of the wicket.”

A police officer, speaking to Urdu News on condition of anonymity, said, “Sometimes, common sense is enough to understand things.

The way Ameer Balaj was murdered suggests that it was part of the plan for the attacker to be killed immediately.”

The officer added, “Although Teefi Butt and Gogi Butt are named in the case, Teefi Butt left for London from Lahore Airport at 3 AM on the night of Ameer Balaj’s murder.

Ahsan Shah was the key witness in this murder case because surveillance and other evidence indicate that he played a central role in orchestrating the killing, and Balaj’s rivals used him. Now, with Ahsan Shah’s death, the murder case is almost over.”

The officer further noted, “If you look closely, it appears that the audio tape was part of a plan to trick Ahsan Shah into thinking he would be released and to record his conversation about surprising the police officer.

This is all a major cover-up. In a few months, Teefi Butt will return because the case against him is now clear—there are no witnesses left.”

Urdu News confirmed through immigration records that Teefi Butt indeed left Lahore Airport for London on the night of Balaj’s murder.

“No End to This Fight” Lahore Police are not willing to comment on this matter at all. However, former Punjab Police IG Khawaja Khalid Farooq stated, “This is a very old feud, and both factions are very powerful, deeply intertwined, and supported by influential forces.

There’s no doubt that some police officers are also involved with these groups. It’s impossible to deny the existence of corrupt officers.”

When asked how he dealt with this issue when he was the head of the police, the former IG replied, “These gang fights and rivalries reach the attention of senior officers only after the violence has already served its purpose.

At most, inspectors and DSP-level officers are seen as directly involved, but these gangs rely more on political backing. This fight has been ongoing for decades, and the police neither have the capacity nor the means to control it, so there’s no end in sight.”