YouTubers Return to Face Court in Pakistan as Bail Shield Expires
ISLAMABAD/LONDON — After securing protective bail from the Islamabad High Court (IHC), content creators Rajab Butt and Nadeem Mubarak, known online as Nani Wala, are expected to fly back from London and surrender to authorities today, amid ongoing legal inquiries.
The court’s order provides temporary protection, extending bail until today in response to a petition filed by Butt and Mubarak’s family members. The aim is to prevent any immediate arrests upon their arrival in Pakistan.
“The accused (Rajab Butt and Nadeem Mubarak) shall not be arrested upon landing at Islamabad Airport until they surrender before this court on the date fixed,” the court’s order states.
Butt’s attorney, Mian Ali Ashfaq, said Butt had not been deported and was returning to Pakistan of his own volition. “He has left the UK by his own choice to return to Pakistan and has already surrendered before the Islamabad High Court today. By doing so, he is granted permission to reach Islamabad without interference from any administrative authority in relation to any criminal case,” Ashfaq wrote on X.
In related legal developments, a British court ruled that Adil Raja must publicly apologize after losing a defamation appeal. The judge demanded that the apology be posted on Raja’s social media and website for 28 days, and ordered damages of £50,000 plus £260,000 in legal costs, to be paid by December 22.
Raja’s defeat comes after a defamation case he brought forward earlier this year. He has indicated plans to appeal to the Court of Appeal. An injunction also bars him from repeating the alleged defamatory claims in the future.
The UK-based dispute centers on ten posts across Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube in which Raja accused a retired Brigadier of orchestrating the Lahore High Court, swaying elections, and bribing politicians.
Separately, Butt and Mubarak have faced legal scrutiny in Pakistan. In September, Butt was investigated by the National Cyber Crime Wing for allegedly promoting online gambling apps on social media. Mubarak was similarly investigated for promoting gambling apps, and was briefly detained in September over displaying a fake registration number, IK-804, on his car. Police questioned him about the registration plate, which is allegedly linked to the prisoner number of Imran Khan, the imprisoned former prime minister.
Published in Dawn, December 10, 2025.
