The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has given major legal relief to popular Pakistani YouTuber Rajab Butt by ordering the removal of his name from the Passport Control List (PCL).
Justice Azam Khan of the IHC issued a six-page written judgment after announcing a reserved verdict. Rajab was represented in court by Barrister Ahmed Khokhar.
During the proceedings, it was revealed that his name had been placed on the PCL at the request of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). However, the Deputy Attorney General informed the court that NCCIA authorities had no objection to removing Rajab’s name from the list.
The court ruled that keeping Rajab’s name on the PCL was unlawful and unnecessary, and amounted to a violation of his fundamental rights. It further noted that after his appearance before the NCCIA, there was no legal justification for keeping his name on the list. The court directed the relevant authorities to immediately remove his name.
However, Rajab’s legal troubles are not fully over. On April 24, an Additional District and Sessions Court in Karachi cancelled his interim pre-arrest bail in a case related to the alleged insult of Islamic symbols, after he repeatedly failed to appear for hearings. The court noted his absence on previous hearing dates, January 13 and March 31, during which his absence had been condoned in the interest of justice.
While the IHC ruling is a significant win for Rajab Butt, the Karachi case still hangs over him as a serious legal challenge.
