YouTuber Rajab Butt | Pakistan

The Punjab Bar Council (PBC) on Tuesday restored the practising licence of Advocate Mian Ali Ashfaq, who is representing YouTuber Rajab Butt in various legal proceedings.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan on Friday expressed concern over the roughing up of YouTuber Rajab Butt during a court appearance in Karachi earlier this week. On Monday, Butt was physically assaulted at the Karachi City Court premises during the hearing of his bail plea in a case registered against him for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Butt’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, said on X that “a few lawyers launched a life-threatening attack on him within the court premises” and registered a case against them. A video of the incident in question had showed Butt, clad in a shirt with the neckline torn open, attempting to move through a crowd surrounding him. “The HRCP expresses grave concern over the reported physical assault on YouTuber Rajab Butt within the Karachi city court premises and the alleged involvement of members of the legal fraternity,” the HRCP said in a statement today on social media platform X. “Violence, intimidation and vigilantism — particularly inside courts — undermine the rule o...

KARACHI: A first information report (FIR) has been registered against several lawyers for allegedly assaulting a station house officer (SHO) after a case was registered against them and others for roughing up YouTuber Rajab Butt during a court appearance in Karachi, it emerged on Wednesday. On Tuesday, it emerged that a case was registered against more than a dozen lawyers after Butt was physically assaulted during a court appearance in Karachi on Monday. The FIR nominated Advocate Riaz Ali Solangi, Advocate Abdul Fatah Chandio and “another 15-20 lawyers”. Subsequently, lawyers stormed the City Courts police station demanding a case against the YouTuber and others. They also staged a protest on M.A. Jinnah Road outside the City Courts against the SHO of the City Courts police station for allegedly failing to register their FIR. The fresh FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn and which emerged on Wednesday, was registered on the complaint of City Court SHO Jahangir Bhutto. The FIR was registered under se...

KARACHI: A first information report (FIR) has been registered against more than a dozen lawyers after YouTuber Rajab Butt was physically assaulted during a court appearance in Karachi on Monday, it emerged on Tuesday. On Monday, Butt was physically assaulted, allegedly by some lawyers, at the Karachi City Court premises during the hearing of his bail plea in a case registered against him for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Butt’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, said on X that “a few lawyers launched a life-threatening attack on him within the court premises”. A video of the incident showed Butt, clad in a shirt torn from places, moving through a crowd surrounding him. The FIR of the incident, a copy of which is available with Dawn, was subsequently registered on the complaint of Butt’s lawyer, Ashfaq. It named Advocate Riaz Ali Solangi, Advocate Abdul Fatah and “another 15-20 lawyers”. It should be mentioned that Solangi is also the complainant in the case registered against Butt for allegedly hurting religi...

KARACHI: YouTuber Rajab Butt was physically assaulted at a sessions court in Karachi on Monday during the hearing of a case registered against him for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Butt appeared before the sessions court (Central) upon the expiry of his interim bail, which was granted to him on December 20. The hearing, however, was marred by violence and chaos as Butt was attacked. Butt‘s counsel, Mian Ali Ashfaq, alleged in a post on social media platform X that his client had been attacked by “some lawyers” at Karachi City Courts’ premises during the hearing of a case. He said the attack was carried out in his presence, in which Butt was injured. “[They] continued to beat him despite being repeatedly asked to stop,” Ashfaq said, terming “such conduct by the lawyers unprofessional”. He added, “Taking the law into their hands is weakening the reputation of lawyers in the country.” Ashfaq further stated that if “lawyers will become a party [in cases] every other day and continue to attack private li...

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted 10-day protective bail to YouTuber Rajab Butt and TikToker Nadeem Mubarak, also known as Nani Wala, on Wednesday in multiple cases related to gambling apps, cybercrime and other allegations after they surrendered before the court. Justice Raja Inam Ameen Minhas approved the bail after the social media influencers appeared before the IHC after reaching Pakistan from the United Kingdom. The development comes a day after the IHC granted protective bail to the two till December 10 (today), in response to a petition filed by Butt and Mubarak’s relatives, to ensure the content creators were not arrested upon their arrival in Pakistan. Their counsel informed the court yesterday that Butt and Mubarak had been abroad for several months and feared arrest upon landing at Islamabad International Airport. He argued that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other departments had registered several cases against them, but under the law the petitioners were entitled to seek relief...

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has summoned YouTuber Rajab Butt on September 9 to join an inquiry regarding his alleged promotion of online gambling apps, it emerged on Friday. Butt has one of the largest online followings in the country and has been embroiled in controversy for years, including over his brief custody of a lion cub. A notice by the NCCIA on Thursday to the YouTuber said the allegation against him was of “involvement in financial scams through online trading apps, motivating youth for investments in online gambling app, use of social media platforms to project online gambling investments, designed an orchestrated scheme for looting innocent people hard-earned income on basis of convincing them to invest in unregistered/non-licenced online apps”. It directed him to appear in person before NCCIA Assistant Director Shoaib Riaz to record his version in his defence at Lahore’s NCCIA Office on Tuesday at 11am for a fair trial process. “In case of non-appearance, it will be ass...