YouTuber booked for ‘hurting religious feelings’

A YouTuber has been booked by Karachi police for allegedly hurting religious feelings.

The case was lodged at the Hyderi Market police station on the complaint of lawyer Riaz Ali Solangi under Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

In the FIR, Solangi stated that on December 24, he watched a video of the YouTuber on social media, in which the latter was allegedly disrespecting prayer. He said the accused’s act not just left him deeply grieved and angered but also hurt his feelings.

The FIR was filed after a sessions court allowed the lawyer's application seeking directives for the Hyderi Market SHO to lodge a case against the YouTuber.

In his January 13 order, Additional Sessions Judge (Central) Ghulam Mustafa Laghari observed: "It appears that as per contents of petition, the petitioner saw a video wherein the proposed accused disrespected the prayer and mocked Islamic religion."

He said the police report also confirmed the contents of the petition. "Record also shows that the statement of petitioner has already been recorded at the police station, therefore, I allow this petition with direction to the SHO PS concerned to do according to law," the judge ruled.

Advocate Solangi had filed the application under Section 22-A of the Criminal Procedure Code, stating that on December 24, he watched a viral video in which the YouTuber was disrespecting prayer (Namaz).

He claimed that the YouTuber was offering prayer while music was playing in the background, which left him feeling grieved and angry.

"Due to this action, many people have suffered significant emotional distress," the lawyer said, adding that the proposed accused with malafide intentions created this video, due to which the applicant and other Muslims persons are still suffering from many problems, mental torture and agony.