A case has been registered at the City Courts police station following an alleged assault on YouTuber Rajab Butt inside the City Court premises.
According to police, an FIR No 290/25 has been registered under the sections 147, 148, 382, 506 and 337-A(i) on the complaint of Rajab Butt’s lawyer Barrister Ali Ashfaq.
The FIR stated that Barrister Ali Ashfaq along with his client Rajab Butt had arrived at the City Courts on Monday at around 9am in connection with bail proceedings in the FIR No 14/25 registered at the Hyderi police station against Butt.
The complainant alleged that upon reaching the West Building of the City Court, the complainant party, Advocate Riaz Ali Solangi, along with Advocate Abdul Fateh and 15 to 20 unidentified lawyers, suddenly attacked Butt and subjected him to severe physical assault.
As a result of the attack, Butt sustained serious injuries, while the complainant and his office staff were also harassed.
The FIR stated that during the assault, the attackers forcibly snatched Butt’s bag, which contained Rs300,000 in cash. Later, Advocate Solangi returned the bag but the cash was missing.
It was alleged that Butt was forcibly produced in court and was issued death threats by the attackers. Police say an investigation is under way and action will be taken in the light of the evidence collected.
SBC boycott
The Sindh Bar Council (SBC) on Tuesday announced a full-day boycott of court proceedings throughout the province on the registration of a case against city courts advocates by YouTuber Rajab Butt.
SBC vice chairman Shafqat Rahim Rajput and chairman executive committee Mohammad Saeed Abbasi strongly condemned the registration of the “false and bogus FIR” against lawyers Riaz Ali Solangi, Abdul Fatah and other advocates.
They said the SBC was of the view that the FIR was registered under ulterior motives. They demanded of the Sindh IGP and other authorities to take immediate notice and also register an FIR against the YouTuber and other persons on a complaint of advocates. They also demanded action against those who were involved in getting registered the FIR against the advocates.
The Sindh High Court Bar Association also condemned the registration of the FIR against advocates and demanded from the authorities to take immediate corrective measures to safeguard the rights of the members of the legal fraternity.
SHCBA secretary Farida Mangrio said the FIR was filed on the application of a lawyer who does not belong to the province of Sindh and without following the due legal process, and it mandates that such applications be submitted to the SBC.
She said it is unlawful and highly irregular that a lawyer files an application for the registration of an FIR against another lawyer on behalf of his client.
