FIR filed against lawyers over Rajab Butt’s court assault

WEB DESK: Following the assault of YouTuber Rajab Butt by reportedly a group of lawyers during a court appearance in Karachi on Monday, a first information report (FIR) has been lodged against more than a dozen legal professionals.

Butt was at the Karachi City Court seeking bail in a case filed against him for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. His lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, said Advocates Riaz Ali Solangi, Abdul Fatah, and around 15–20 others physically assaulted Butt inside the court premises in a “life-threatening” attack. A video circulating online showed Butt with his shirt torn, moving through a crowd surrounding him.

As per Dawn, the FIR, filed on Ashfaq’s complaint, cites sections 147, 148, 382, 506, and 337-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, covering rioting, criminal intimidation, and assault-related offenses. Ashfaq said Butt was injured and Rs300,000 from his bag was taken; although the bag was returned, the cash was missing. Butt was also allegedly taken to the additional district and sessions judge’s office, where threats were made against him.

South Deputy IG Syed Asad Raza confirmed that no arrests have been made so far. Solangi claimed Butt had previously uploaded a vlog using offensive language against lawyers, including himself, and later apologized at the Karachi Bar Association committee room.

Ashfaq criticised the attack, stating it damages the legal profession’s credibility. Videos from the incident show Butt accompanied by lawyers chanting slogans in support of the Karachi Bar, with TikTok creator Nadeem Mubarak, also known as Nani Wala, present during the episode.

Web Desk