The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Friday expressed serious concern over the reported physical assault on YouTuber Rajab Butt during a court appearance at the Karachi City Court earlier this week, calling the incident a threat to the rule of law and due process.
Read More: Licence of lawyer representing Rajab Butt suspended
Rajab Butt was roughed up on Monday while appearing before the court for a hearing on his bail plea in a case related to allegedly hurting religious sentiments. A video of the incident showed him attempting to move through a hostile crowd, his shirt visibly torn, as people surrounded and jostled him within the court premises.
In a statement posted on X, the HRCP said it was alarmed by reports that members of the legal fraternity were allegedly involved in the assault. “Violence, intimidation and vigilantism — particularly inside courts — undermine the rule of law and the right to due process,” the commission said.
HRCP expresses grave concern over the reported physical assault on YouTuber Rajab Butt within the Karachi city court premises and the alleged involvement of members of the legal fraternity. Violence, intimidation and vigilantism—particularly inside courts—undermine the rule of…
— Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (@HRCP87) January 2, 2026
The HRCP urged authorities to conduct a prompt and impartial investigation, ensure accountability for those responsible and take concrete steps to guarantee the safety of litigants, lawyers and court officials within judicial premises.
Following the incident, Butt’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, said that a group of lawyers launched a “life-threatening attack” on his client inside the court and that a criminal case had been registered against them. The first information report named Advocate Riaz Ali Solangi, Advocate Abdul Fatah and 15 to 20 unidentified lawyers.
Solangi, who is also the complainant in the case against Butt, told Dawn that the YouTuber had uploaded a vlog after securing pre-arrest bail in which he allegedly used inappropriate language against lawyers and the legal fraternity. He claimed Butt was later taken to the Karachi Bar Association committee room, where he apologised.
Tensions escalated further on Tuesday when a group of lawyers stormed the City Courts police station, allegedly manhandled a station house officer and staged a protest sit-in on M.A. Jinnah Road demanding an FIR against Butt.
Read More: Rajab Butt torture issue: Lawyers’ strike in Karachicourts continues
Police subsequently registered a case against several lawyers, including Solangi, for allegedly assaulting the SHO.
Separately, the Punjab Bar Council on Thursday suspended Ashfaq’s practising licence, citing professional misconduct for representing Butt during a bar strike and making remarks against the legal fraternity.