Interim Bail for TikTokers Rajab Butt and Nadeem Mubarak

Interim bail for TikTokers Rajab Butt and Nadeem Mubarak was granted by a Lahore district and sessions court in a gambling app promotion case.

The court heard the interim bail petitions on Monday. Additional Sessions Judge Mansoor Ali Qureshi presided over the hearing. Rajab Butt and Nadeem Mubarak appeared before the court. Their lawyer submitted the bail applications.

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency registered cases against several TikTokers. The agency accused them of promoting gambling applications. Rajab Butt and Nadeem Mubarak were among the named individuals.

Their lawyers told the court that both men wanted to join the investigation. They said their clients wished to prove their innocence through legal cooperation.

The judge granted pre-arrest interim bail to both TikTokers. He ordered the agency not to arrest them until January 6. He also directed them to cooperate fully with the investigation until the next hearing.

This decision came days after the Islamabad High Court granted them 10-day protective bail. Their families had filed that petition earlier. After that relief, both men approached the Lahore sessions court separately.

Official records show multiple FIRs against both TikTokers. The cases include charges related to gambling app promotion, misuse of digital platforms, and online harassment under cybercrime laws.

Investigators issued several notices earlier. Progress remained slow due to their absence from the country at that time.

Authorities booked Rajab Butt in September for allegedly promoting gambling apps on social media. The agency also registered a case against Nadeem Mubarak. Police arrested him earlier for using a fake vehicle registration number. The number reportedly matched a prisoner number linked to former prime minister Imran Khan.

In March this year, authorities also booked Rajab Butt under blasphemy and cybercrime laws. The case related to the launch of his perfume brand named “295.” The name referred to a section of the Pakistan Penal Code.

In December 2024, police arrested him for keeping a lion cub and weapons at home. He later admitted the violation. The court granted bail after he promised to post animal rights awareness videos for one year.

The court proceedings mark another development in the ongoing legal matters. Interim bail for TikTokers Rajab Butt and Nadeem Mubarak remains in effect until the next hearing.