Sohail Zia Butt - cousin-in-law of Nawaz Sharif - was at one time considered the crime boss of the old city of Lahore.
Biography
Sohail Zia Butt's family is orginally from Kashmir who settled at Lahore. In the early twentieth the family gained fame as wrestlers.
Nawaz Sharif's Relation
Suhail Zia Butt is the second cousin of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif first cousin of Nawaz Sharif's wife Kalsoom Nawaz. Thus during his two tentures as Prime Minister of Pakistan Sohail Zia Butt remained as the "King of Hera Mandi" and ruled Lahore's underworld unchallenged.
Afghan-Soviet War
During the Afghan-Soviet War Suhail Butt worked under the drug baron Mirza Iqbal Beg, then Pakistan's second biggest drug lord after Ayub Afridi.
1990s
In 1990 Suhail Butt won a seat on the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad ticket in the Punjab Assembly. It was through Sohail Butt's association that Nawaz Sharif became a close associate of Mirza Iqbal Beg. It was through him that Nawaz Sharif became benami owner of many of the privatized government entities, such as Muslim Commercial Bank.1
In the nineties the CIA accused Sohail Zia Butt, among others, for using heroin money for partially financing Kashmiri seperatist movement.
Sohail Zia Butt was also involved in the early 90s scandal in which he looted billions from the cooperative societies.2
King of Hera Mandi
In 1995 when Mirza Iqbal Beg was imprisoned, Sohail Zia Butt took over his drug empire. It is at this time that he became one of the biggest drug and crime bosses in Pakistan. In the 90s Sohail Zia Butt was nicknamed the "King of Hera Mandi" and at one time all six underworld gangs of Lahore were working under him. These six herion gangs are:
- Taksali Gate-Hira Mandi
- Yakki Gate-Badami Bagh
- Lahori Gate-Anar Kali
- Shah Alam Chowk
- Misri Shah
- Delhi Gate
During his reign as the top drug leader, Chaudhry Shaukat Ali Bhatti, ex-MPA acted as his right hand man.
Children
His son Umer Sohail Zia Butt is in politics.
Relatives
Suhail Zia Butt's close relative Sohail Shaukat Butt is also in politics.
Also See
