Content creators Rajab Butt and Nadeem Mubarak, widely known as Nani Wala, are set to arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday night after securing protective bail from Islamabad High Court. Both individuals have been facing multiple legal proceedings over the past year, leading them to approach the court through petitions filed by their relatives to ensure that they would not be taken into custody upon landing. Their return from London is linked to their decision to surrender before the authorities on December 10 as required under the court’s instructions. The order clearly stated that the two individuals would not be detained at Islamabad Airport until they appear before the court on the specified date, allowing them safe passage for the purpose of surrender.
The two creators have been subjects of cybercrime related inquiries since September when National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency booked them for allegedly promoting online gambling applications through their social media platforms. Nadeem Mubarak faced an additional inquiry earlier in the same period when he was taken into custody for displaying a fake registration number labelled IK 804 on his vehicle. During questioning, he was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the use of the number, which is associated with prisoner identification assigned to PTI founder Imran Khan. Rajab Butt also faced previous scrutiny when his perfume brand launch caused a religious controversy. In March, he was booked under blasphemy and cybercrime laws for introducing a fragrance titled 295, which referenced the section of Pakistan Penal Code linked to blasphemy provisions. The issue drew wide attention and contributed to the already complex legal situation surrounding him.
According to legal representative Mian Ali Ashfaq, Butt was neither deported nor compelled to leave London. The lawyer clarified through a post on X that Butt chose independently to return and had already surrendered before Islamabad High Court earlier in the day. The statement emphasised that this voluntary appearance ensured his access to Islamabad without obstruction from administrative bodies involved in criminal cases. This clarification was shared to counter speculation circulating online regarding the nature of his return. The return of both creators will now place them directly within ongoing proceedings, allowing the authorities to proceed under court supervision rather than through immediate detention at the airport.
Their legal track record extends further than the current cases. Last December, Butt was taken into custody for keeping a lion cub and weapons at his residence without proper documentation. He later pleaded guilty to possessing the undocumented animal, which he said had been received as a wedding gift. Instead of a prison sentence, he avoided jail time by agreeing to publish animal rights awareness content for a year. These recurring legal issues have kept both creators in the public spotlight during a time when Pakistani digital creators are seeing significant growth in earnings and international viewership. Reports from Google highlighted that the number of YouTube creators in Pakistan earning over ten million rupees annually increased by twenty five percent, with more than sixty five percent of total watch time coming from international audiences. Google Country Director Farhan Qureshi noted that Pakistani creators have been demonstrating their capability to engage global viewers, and a list published last year included categories such as Top Trending Videos, Top Music Videos and Top Creators. Despite the expanding creator ecosystem, cases such as those involving Butt and Mubarak continue to draw attention to the legal and regulatory challenges faced by high profile online personalities in Pakistan.
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