“They continued to beat him"
YouTuber Rajab Butt was assaulted by lawyers at a sessions court in Karachi during a hearing in a case alleging he hurt religious sentiments.
Butt appeared before the sessions court (Central) after his interim bail expired. The bail had been granted on December 20.
However, the hearing descended into violence and chaos when Butt was attacked at the Karachi City Courts’ premises. He sustained injuries during the incident.
Butt’s counsel, Mian Ali Ashfaq, claimed that his client was attacked by “some lawyers” during the hearing. He said the assault happened in his presence.
Ashfaq said: “They continued to beat him despite being repeatedly asked to stop.”
He described such conduct by the lawyers as “unprofessional”, adding:
“Taking the law into their hands is weakening the reputation of lawyers in the country.”
Ashfaq said if “lawyers will become a party [in cases] every other day and continue to attack private litigants on court premises, their respect will suffer an immense and continuous decline”.
“This is an unfortunate aspect that has no place in any educated society.”
Videos after the incident showed Rajab Butt moving through a crowd, with his shirt appearing to be torn.
Another video showed Butt walking with a group of lawyers chanting “Karachi Bar Zindabad”. The group included Riaz Solangi, the complainant in the case against Butt.
In the video, Solangi said Butt had made a video using inappropriate words for lawyers. Another man, appearing to be a lawyer, issued a warning.
He said: “What has happened today, we did that over his words for lawyers and misbehaviour against them.
“Anyone who says anything against lawyers will end up in the same condition”.
Tiktoker Nadeem Mubarak, also known as Nani Wala, was also present. He appeared alongside Butt during the court appearance.
Mubarak and Butt have been facing legal proceedings in multiple cases. They returned to Pakistan together on December 10 from London.
Their return followed a 10-day protective bail granted by the Islamabad High Court. The order came after a petition filed by their relatives.
Butt’s interim bail in the case heard on Monday has now been extended until January 13. The court did not issue further public remarks on the assault.
Lawyers beating Rajab Butt is absolutely sad and unacceptable. “Jo wakeelo ke khilaf bolay ga, yahi hal hoga”. Tum wakelo ke phuppa lagtay ho? This highlights why strict selection criteria for lawyers is crucial. There’s no bravery in beating the weakest.pic.twitter.com/r0nvcSSzIc
— Saad Kaiser ?? (@TheSaadKaiser) December 29, 2025
Solangi had lodged a complaint against Butt in January at the Hyderi Market police station.
The case was registered under Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The section relates to deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings. It covers insulting religion or religious beliefs.
According to the first information report, Solangi said he watched a viral video in December 2024. He alleged Butt was performing a prayer while music played in the background.
The FIR was registered after a sessions court allowed an application under Section 22-A. The application sought directives for the police to register the case.
After the video circulated widely, Butt posted further videos on his official Facebook page in January. He appeared seated with scholars from different schools of thought.
In a three-part video, Butt issued an apology. He said that if anyone’s feelings were hurt by his unintentional actions, he deeply regretted it.
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