IHC Orders Rajab Butt Removed From Passport Control List

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday ordered authorities to remove YouTuber Rajab Butt’s name from the Passport Control List, granting him legal relief in a case that had drawn public attention because of his large social media following and pending legal proceedings.

The ruling was issued by Justice Azam Khan through a six-page written judgment after the court had reserved its decision. The petition was disposed of after the bench concluded that keeping Butt’s name on the list was no longer legally justified.

According to the proceedings, Butt’s name had been placed on the Passport Control List at the request of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency. His lawyer, Barrister Ahmed Khokhar, represented him before the Islamabad High Court and argued for the removal of the travel restriction.

During the hearing, the Deputy Attorney General informed the court that the NCCIA had no objection to removing Butt’s name from the list. The court noted that once the petitioner had appeared before the relevant agency, the continued restriction could not be treated as necessary without a fresh and valid legal basis.

The judgment observed that such restrictions cannot be used indefinitely or casually, particularly when they affect an individual’s right to movement. The court held that the purpose of placing a name on a control list is linked to ensuring appearance before an investigating body or court, not to impose an open-ended limitation after that objective has been achieved.

The case comes amid a wider legal history involving the YouTuber. On April 24, an additional district and sessions court in Karachi cancelled his interim pre-arrest bail in a case related to alleged insult of Islamic symbols after he repeatedly failed to appear before the court.

Earlier, the same Karachi court had expressed displeasure over missing evidence and had directed police to record Butt’s statement in the matter. Apart from that case, Butt has also faced scrutiny in connection with allegations linked to promotion of gambling and betting applications, a matter that brought the cybercrime agency into the broader legal picture.

The latest order is significant for Pakistan’s expanding digital media space, where social media personalities increasingly face legal pressure, public controversies and regulatory attention. The decision reinforces that state powers related to movement restrictions must remain tied to clear legal requirements rather than prolonged administrative convenience.

For Rajab Butt, the immediate impact is the removal of a travel-related barrier, provided no other competent authority has imposed a separate restriction. The next phase of the matter will depend on the progress of pending cases in Karachi and any further steps taken by investigation agencies under relevant cybercrime or criminal laws.