- Additional Sessions Judge Mansoor Ali Qureshi grants bail.
- Court approves bail plea of social media influencers until Jan 6.
- Both suspects directed to join investigation in gambling app case.
LAHORE: A sessions court in Lahore on Monday granted interim bail to YouTuber Rajab Butt and TikToker Nadeem Mubarak, also known as Naniwala, in a case related to the alleged promotion of a gambling application.
The suspects face charges under cybercrime laws for allegedly promoting a gambling application.
Additional Sessions Judge Mansoor Ali Qureshi heard the case and approved bail pleas of both social media influencers until January 6.
The court also directed both to join the investigation.
The development comes days after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved a 10-day transit bail for Butt and Naniwala in gambling application promotion case.
During the hearing, the petitioners’ lawyer requested the court to grant 15-day transit bail, maintaining that a separate case had also been registered against the suspects in Karachi.
Speaking to journalists at the court premises last week, Butt had said that he would appear in Karachi court within the next 10 days. He said he was never deported, saying, “I was not deported; one does not return via business class after deportation.”
Butt maintained that his visa had been cancelled and he had already submitted a request to the UK Home Office regarding the cases filed against him. The YouTuber also confirmed that his name was not on the Exit Control List (ECL) and stressed that he will remain in Pakistan as long as his case is ongoing.
“I may have to go abroad for visits occasionally, but my residence will remain in Pakistan.”
Butt issued a clarification after it emerged that the United Kingdom had deported Pakistani YouTuber after revoking his visa.
According to sources, Butt’s deportation stemmed from the cancellation of his British visa, which had been valid until 2027.
The British investigators found that he had failed to disclose pending cases against him when applying for his visa, a key violation that prompted the UK Home Office to order his immediate departure.
The development followed an investigation launched several days ago after Britain’s MI-6 detained Butt and his fellow YouTuber Naniwala, acting on anonymous complaints alleging their involvement in terrorism-related activities.
Sources told Geo News that both men were cleared of terrorism links during the inquiry.
