KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has granted interim bail to actor Muneeb Ahmed Butt as he was booked in an alleged short-term kidnapping case.

The Airport police registered the case last month on the complaint of Mutaal Khan, who stated that on April 22, he left his home for the airport to travel to Lahore.

He added that while he was travelling in a cab, a double-cabin vehicle carrying four armed men intercepted his vehicle and, at gunpoint, allegedly abducted him, claiming that he had been involved in an accident.

The complainant further stated that the abductors kept taking him to different locations before snatching his mobile phone and allegedly transferring 8,600 USDT from his account. They also took his laptop and later dropped him at an undisclosed place in the Korangi Industrial Area before fleeing.

Speaking to Dawn, Advocate Syed Israr Ali Shah, counsel for the complainant, stated that after the incident, his client had lodged a complaint and the police later apprehended four suspects — Hamza, Saalim, Shahid and Wazir — and booked other suspects, including a police constable and actor Muneeb Butt, in the case.

He claimed that the investigating officer had informed him that the actor was booked on charges of allegedly facilitating at least two of the suspects while they were hiding in Islamabad.

The counsel added that he was still uncertain whether the actor had any involvement in the crime, but stated that the investigating agency had booked him in the case.

Later, the actor secured protective bail from the Islamabad High Court and surrendered before a Karachi ATC, where he moved a pre-arrest bail application.

After hearing the actor’s counsel, the ATC granted him interim bail against a surety bond of Rs100,000 and fixed June 8 for confirmation or otherwise.

A case was registered at the Airport police station under Sections 365-A (kidnapping or abducting for extorting property, valuable security, etc.), 392 (punishment for robbery) and 34 (common Intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 7 of the Anti-terrorism Act.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2026