Both sides agreed to withdraw their complaints and motions after a violent altercation in court last December.
Lawyers protested on MA Jinnah Road on Tuesday against the registration of an FIR against the lawyers who allegedly attacked YouTuber Rajab Butt in the municipal court premises on Monday. Photo: Express
Negotiations between accused YouTuber Rajab Butt’s lawyer, advocate Mian Ali Ashfaq and the Karachi legal community were successful with both parties agreeing to withdraw the complaints and petitions filed against each other.
Advocate Ashfaq, the defense lawyer, had filed a complaint against the lawyers at the municipal court police station and filed a petition with the Sindh Bar Council. In response, lawyers protested and went on strike.
Speaking at a joint press conference at the Karachi Municipal Court, Bar Association office on Thursday, lawyer Ashfaq said detailed discussions were held between the parties. The motivations behind the complaints filed were examined and the circumstances created by the incident were examined. It was decided to resolve all issues amicably.
Read: Rajab Butt case: High Court bar condemns FIR against lawyers
“Whether it was lawyer Riaz Solangi or his client, no conditions were imposed on either side, and the matter was successfully resolved,” he said. He thanked Karachi Bar Association President Amir Waraich for playing a very important role in resolving the case.
Waraich said the incident had affected the reputation of the Karachi bar, stressing that every nationality, religion and sect is respected within the bar. “Lawyers can practice on religious issues but should not become parties themselves. The Karachi Bar believes in the supremacy of law, and that is why it has been targeted,” he said.
He added that the incident was an attempt to tarnish the reputation of Karachi Bar lawyers among the public. “Today, both sides have carte blanche. There has been no pressure from the bar and we will never support violence. If you have a problem, come to the bar; lawyers are asked to respect anyone who comes to court.”
This development follows an incident on December 29, 2025 in which a verbal altercation between the accused Rajab Butt and lawyer Riaz Solangi, and the Fatah lawyer, escalated into a physical confrontation. The YouTuber was attacked after a hearing in a case against him for allegedly insulting Islamic symbols.
Case history
Rajab Butt has been under investigation for allegations of blasphemy since the start of the year, after he launched a perfume branded “295”, a reference to Section 295 of Pakistan’s blasphemy law.
Learn more: Punjab Bar Association suspends lawyer representing Faiz Hameed and Rajab Butt for ‘professional misconduct’
The launch sparked backlash and accusations that the brand was flouting the law.
An FIR was later registered against him under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with insulting religious beliefs.
In March 2025, Butt posted an apology video from Masjid-e-Haram in Mecca while he was performing Umrah. He said he did nothing intentionally and asked people to “purify their hearts” towards him.
He declared that the video linked to the controversy had been misunderstood, claimed that a word had been deleted and announced the discontinuation of the perfume. He also called on religious scholars, the Punjab government and the Pakistan Army to reconsider the accusations.
The FIR was filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Labbaik leader Haider Ali Shah Gillani. If convicted, Butt faces up to 10 years in prison on these charges.
