Pakistan court grants protective bail to 'deported' YouTuber and UK companion

A Pakistani court granted on Tuesday protective bail to YouTuber Rajab Butt and his British companion Nadeem Naniwala, barring authorities from arresting them upon arrival in Pakistan after Butt was deported from London.

The Islamabad High Court issued the order, granting the influencers bail until Wednesday and directing them to appear in court on Dec. 10.

Justice Raja Inam Amin Minallah instructed that neither Butt nor Naniwala be detained at Islamabad International Airport.

As of Tuesday evening, neither had landed in Pakistan. Media reports showed the two were on the same flight en route to Islamabad following Butt’s deportation earlier in the day. Naniwala, a permanent UK citizen, is accompanying Butt voluntarily.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Naniwala, also known as Nadeem Mubarak, described the situation, saying Butt’s visa was cancelled while his own remained valid.

He added that the pair were returning to resolve issues with Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and cited an existing Islamabad High Court stay order preventing their arrest at the airport.

Butt, 28, a Lahore-based YouTuber with over five million subscribers, left Pakistan on March 23, 2025, first traveling to Dubai and then London after public backlash over his perfume brand “295,” referencing Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. The controversy led to charges under Sections 295-B and 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

While abroad, both men are accused of promoting unauthorized real-money gaming and betting apps.

The NCCIA registered a formal FIR against Butt in September 2025 and launched three additional inquiries into blasphemy-related content, gambling promotion, and electronic fraud. Naniwala faces two separate FIRs related to gambling endorsements.

Lawyer disputes deportation claim

Meanwhile, Butt’s lawyer, Mian Ashfaq, posted on X that Butt had not been deported from the UK. “He has left the UK of his own choice to return to Pakistan and has already surrendered before the Islamabad High Court today,” he said.

“This grants him access to reach Islamabad without any hindrance from administrative authorities in any criminal case.”

The lawyer added that Butt will appear in person before the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday in compliance with the court’s orders.