(Web Desk) The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Friday expressed serious concern over the physical assault on YouTuber Rajab Butt during a court appearance in Karachi earlier this week.
Karachi court violence: Over a dozen lawyers booked for attacking Rajab Butt
Rajab Butt was attacked on Monday at the Karachi City Court when he appeared for a hearing on his bail plea in a case related to allegedly hurting religious sentiments. According to his lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, several lawyers attacked Butt inside the court premises, putting his life at risk. A police case has been registered over the incident.
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Videos circulating on social media showed Butt struggling to move through a crowd, with his shirt torn during the scuffle.
In a statement posted on X, HRCP said violence and intimidation inside courts seriously damage the rule of law and the right to a fair trial. The commission stressed that vigilantism, especially within judicial premises, is unacceptable. It demanded a prompt and impartial investigation, accountability for those involved, and strong measures to ensure the safety of litigants, lawyers and court staff.
The FIR, registered on the complaint of Butt’s lawyer, named Advocate Riaz Ali Solangi, Advocate Abdul Fatah and 15 to 20 unidentified lawyers. Solangi is also the complainant in the case filed against Butt.
Solangi claimed that after securing pre-arrest bail on December 20, Butt uploaded a vlog using inappropriate language against Karachi lawyers and himself. He said Butt was later taken to the Karachi Bar Association committee room, where he apologised.
On Tuesday, a group of lawyers allegedly stormed the City Courts police station, manhandled the station house officer and staged a sit-in on M.A. Jinnah Road, demanding an FIR against Butt. The following day, police registered a case against several lawyers, including Solangi, for allegedly assaulting the SHO.
Separately, the Punjab Bar Council suspended Mian Ali Ashfaq’s licence on Thursday for representing Butt during a lawyers’ strike. The council said Ashfaq made remarks against the legal fraternity, calling his conduct professional misconduct that harmed unity and the reputation of lawyers.
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