- Duo returned from UK amid arrest fears get 10-day relief after surrendering before Islamabad High Court
- Court earlier barred arrest at airport, cases include gambling apps, online misuse allegations
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday granted 10-day protective bail to YouTuber Rajab Butt and TikToker Nadeem Mubarak, popularly known as Naniwala, in multiple cases related to alleged promotion of gambling apps, cybercrime and other offences, after both surrendered before the court following their return from the United Kingdom.
Justice Raja Inam Ameen Minhas approved the protective bail after the two social media influencers appeared before the court earlier in the day. The relief will remain in effect for 10 days, allowing the petitioners to approach relevant courts for further legal remedies.
The development followed the court’s decision a day earlier to grant one-day protective bail to Butt and Mubarak till December 10, on petitions filed by their relatives, to ensure they were not arrested upon arrival in Pakistan. During Tuesday’s proceedings, their counsel informed the court that both influencers had been abroad for several months and feared immediate arrest at Islamabad International Airport due to multiple cases registered against them.
The lawyer argued that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other departments had lodged several FIRs, but under the law the petitioners were entitled to seek relief from the competent forums before any arrest. Accepting the plea, the court had restrained authorities from arresting them at the airport and directed both individuals to appear before the IHC the following day to mark their presence and enable progress in the pending cases.
Meanwhile, reports circulated on social media suggesting that Rajab Butt was deported from the UK after British authorities cancelled his visa. However, his counsel, Mian Ali Ashfaq, rejected the claim, stating in a post on X that the YouTuber was not deported and had returned to Pakistan voluntarily.
رجب بٹ کو پچھلے دو سال میں پہلے بھی میں نے نمائندگی کرکے تین مقدمات میں بے گناہ ثابت کروایا اور عدم ملوث ثابت کروایا-
موجودہ درج مقدمات میں چند ماہ پہلے کے حالات کو مدنظر رکھتے ھوئے میرے قانون مشورہ پر مزید کاروائی کو وقتی طور پر موخر کیا جو کہ وقت نے ثابت کیا کہ ایک ڈھونگ رچاؤ… https://t.co/cxAqsOMith
— Mian Ali Ashfaq (@MianAliAshfaq) December 9, 2025
Cases against social media influencers
According to official records, Rajab Butt and Nadeem Mubarak are nominated in several FIRs registered under various cybercrime provisions. The allegations include operating or promoting online gambling applications, misuse of digital platforms and online harassment. FIA officials said multiple notices had been issued to them earlier, but no substantial progress was made in investigations due to their prolonged stay abroad.
In September this year, Butt was booked by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) for allegedly promoting online gambling apps on social media. In a separate case, Nadeem Mubarak was also booked by the NCCIA on similar charges. He was additionally arrested in September for allegedly displaying a fake registration number—‘IK-804’—on his vehicle.
Police sources said Nadeem failed to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the fake number plate, which is believed to resemble the prisoner number reportedly allotted to incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan.
In another high-profile case, Rajab Butt was booked in March under blasphemy and cybercrime laws after the launch of his perfume brand allegedly triggered a “religious stir.” The product, named “295,” referred to Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with blasphemy-related offences.
Butt has also faced legal trouble in the past. In December last year, he was arrested for illegally keeping a lion cub and weapons at his residence. He later pleaded guilty in January to owning an undocumented wild animal, stating that the cub had been received as a wedding gift. He avoided imprisonment after promising the court to create and post animal rights awareness videos for one year.
The IHC is expected to hear further related petitions as the influencers approach relevant courts for pre-arrest bail in the cases registered against them.
