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• YouTuber Rajab Butt, TikToker Nadeem Nani Wala surrender before court
• Another proclaimed offender repatriated from Saudi Arabia
ISLAMABAD: 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 upon arriving in Pakistan from the United Kingdom.
The development came a day after the IHC granted protective bail to the two content creators till Wednesday, in response to a petition filed by their relatives to ensure they were not arrested upon arrival in Pakistan.
Their counsel informed the court on Tuesday that Mr Butt and Mr 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 from the relevant forum before any arrest.
After hearing the arguments, the court approved one-day protective bail and restrained the authorities from arresting the petitioners at the airport. The judge further directed both influencers to appear before the IHC on Wednesday to mark their presence so that proceedings in the pending cases could move forward.
Meanwhile, it was also reported that Mr Butt was being deported from the UK after British authorities cancelled his visa. However, his lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, said in a post on social media platform X that the YouTuber had not been deported from and was returning to Pakistan of his own free will.
Cases against them
According to official records, the two are nominated in several FIRs registered under various cybercrime provisions, including allegations related to operating or promoting gambling applications, misuse of digital platforms and online harassment. The FIA had earlier issued multiple notices, but their stay abroad meant no substantial progress could be made in the investigations.
In September this year, Mr Butt was booked by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) for allegedly promoting online gambling apps on social media. Mr Nadeem was also booked by the NCCIA for allegedly promoting gambling apps on his social media, but he was also arrested in September for displaying a fake registration number — ‘IK-804’ — on his car.
On being quizzed, he could not satisfy the police with regard to displaying the fake registration number, IK-804, which is said to be the prisoner number allotted to incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan.
Repatriated
Separately in a major breakthrough against transnational fugitives, the FIA, in coordination with Interpol, has successfully arrested and repatriated proclaimed offender Taimoor Hasan from Saudi Arabia.
According to an official statement shared by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in a post on X, the suspect was wanted by Punjab Police for the past four years.
Acting on a red notice, Interpol detained Mr Hasan in Saudi Arabia and handed him over to Pakistani officials.
The FIA Immigration Islamabad formally transferred the custody of the suspect to Punjab Police upon his arrival in Pakistan.
Additional input from APP
Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2025
