Rajab Butt assaulted by lawyers

Attack follows bail hearing in blasphemy-related case; lawyers cite remarks made by Butt online

KARACHI:

YouTuber Rajab Butt was assaulted by a group of lawyers at Karachi’s City Court on Monday after a hearing in a case against him over the alleged insult of Islamic symbols, his lawyers and witnesses said.

The attack took place after Butt appeared before an additional district and sessions judge, who heard his bail application but adjourned the proceedings without any substantive order.

“Today, lawyers and I at my Karachi office were present in the court premises at City Court Karachi during the court appearance with my client Rajab Butt, when a few lawyers attacked Rajab Butt with lethal intent in our presence, as a result of which he was injured,” Butt’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, said in a post on X.

“Despite our continuous efforts to stop the ongoing beating, it persisted,” he added.

According to people present at the court, an exchange of words broke out immediately after the hearing between Butt and several lawyers at the court premises. The argument escalated into a scuffle, after which Butt was beaten.

His defence lawyers tried to intervene and stop the assault. Butt was later escorted out of the City Court.

Lawyers involved in the confrontation linked it to remarks Butt allegedly made online after an earlier court appearance.

“Rajab had said the person who got the case registered against me does not look like a lawyer,” they said. They also said Butt had called for a case to be registered against them.

Some lawyers said they took a promise from Butt that he “will not do such an act again”.

Others issued a warning, saying, “this is what will happen to anyone who speaks against lawyers.”

Police were not immediately available to comment on whether any action had been taken over the assault.

The bail application is scheduled to be heard again on January 13.

The case registered against Butt at Haidri police station remains under investigation.

Rajab Butt has been under scrutiny over blasphemy-related allegations since earlier this year after launching a perfume branded “295”, a reference to Section 295 of Pakistan’s blasphemy law.

The launch triggered backlash and accusations that the branding mocked the law.

An FIR was later registered against him under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with insulting religious beliefs.

In March 2025, Butt released an apology video from Masjid-e-Haram in Makkah while performing Umrah. He said he had not done anything intentionally and asked people to “cleanse your hearts” towards him.

He said the video linked to the controversy had been misunderstood, claimed a word had been edited out and announced the discontinuation of the perfume. He also appealed to religious scholars, the Punjab government and the Pakistan Army to reconsider the charges.

The FIR was filed by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan leader Haider Ali Shah Gillani. If convicted, Butt could face up to 10 years in prison under the charges.