Category: Entertainment

The Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) has suspended the practice licence of Advocate Mian Ali Ashfaq for appearing before Karachi City Courts during a lawyers’ strike while representing TikToker Rajab Butt.

According to an order issued by PbBC Executive Committee Chairman Zabiullah Nagra, the suspension order was handed out after the President and General Secretary of the Bar Karachi Association formally complained about Ashfaq’s conduct during the strike.

The order states that a video circulating on social media showed Advocate Ashfaq inside the Karachi City Courts, actively representing Rajab Butt, despite a complete boycott of judicial proceedings. 

The strike had been called to protest the alleged victimisation of the Karachi Bar Association’s former librarian, Naseer Muhammad Kalhoro, and strictly barred all legal activity within court premises.

The video shows Ashfaq present in court at a time when courtrooms were largely deserted, a move the council described as a clear violation of the strike call. 

The PbBC further noted that the lawyer allegedly entered the premises accompanied by private guards or individuals, intensifying anger among striking lawyers and drawing sharp criticism from the legal fraternity.

According to the council, the situation escalated when Ashfaq, while defending his client, made remarks against the lawyers’ community comments the PbBC termed “serious professional impropriety.” These statements, the order said, triggered divisions among lawyers, leading to confrontation, discord and an atmosphere charged with resentment.

“The conduct created dispute and disharmony and gravely damaged the reputation, unity and collective integrity of the lawyers’ community,” the order observed.

After reviewing his professional record, the executive committee noted that Ali Ashfaq was enrolled as an advocate with the Punjab Bar Council in 2010 and later with the High Court in 2012. As a practicing lawyer, the council emphasised, he was duty-bound to uphold the dignity and high standing of the profession at all times.

The executive committee unanimously decided to suspend Ashfaq’s licence to practice law with immediate effect and referred the matter to the PbBC’s disciplinary committee for proceedings regarding the permanent cancellation of his licence in accordance with law.

Speaking to a media outlet, Chairman Zabiullah Nagra said the Punjab Bar Council, as a statutory regulatory body, was not required to issue a prior notice before suspending a licence in cases of professional misconduct.

He added that every enrolled advocate is presumed to have full knowledge of the bar council’s code of conduct and is obligated to comply with it.

Nagra further said the lawyer had been found involved in activities unbecoming of a member of the legal profession for some time.

 Advocate Ali Ashfaq has also appeared as counsel for former spymaster Faiz Hameed in the trial concluded against him before a military court.

Following the suspension, Ashfaq took to X, posting a defiant message that read: “If you wish to test my resolve for standing for the right thing. You’ll see it more than ever and much bigger than before. Test me more, I’ll fail you.”

The biggest grosser of 2025 and Hindi cinema’s highest-earning film, Dhurandhar, faces a new controversy as the Information and Broadcasting Ministry  the removal of the word “Baloch” from the film.

Indian media outlets, quoting sources, reported that the I&B Ministry has asked the makers to remove the word from the film before screening it on January 1.

Since it appears frequently throughout Dhurandhar, the extent of the changes remains unclear. The source noted that theatres across India received an email from the distributor on Thursday, asking them to replace the Digital Cinema Package and play only the updated version.

The source mentioned that along with removing that word, the makers have implemented a couple of related changes, though he couldn’t reveal the exact details of those alterations.

The Ranveer Singh starrer, which has collected over PKR23 billion in 26 days, now faces a second setback as Jio Studios, the film’s production house, shifts focus to its new release Ikkis.

The trade source believes an understanding between Jio Studios and Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films led to pushing Ikkis’ release by a week from Christmas, December 25, 2025, to New Year’s Day. 

Now entering its fifth week since its December 5, 2025 release, Dhurandhar hovers around the PKR30 crore mark daily. However, with screens halved for Ikkis, it may soon slip to single-digit daily earnings starting Monday, January 5.

Jio Studios, which distributes both films, has ensured Ikkis gets 30-40% of screens.  

Based on the story of Second Lieutenant Arun Kheterpal who was killed in Battle of Basantar during the Pak-India war of 197. 

Before these domestic challenges, Dhurandhar faced rejection from six Gulf countries. According to media reports, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE all blocked the theatrical release after reviewing its content.

The film features Arjun Rampal as Major Iqbal, a character the trailer claims controls Pakistani politics. R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt and Akshaye Khanna round out the cast.

The production incorporates real figures from Karachi’s recent past. Sanjay Dutt portrays the late SP Chaudhry Aslam Khan, who served as a counter-terrorism police officer in Karachi. Akshaye Khanna plays Abdul Rehman Baloch, known as Rehman Dakait, a gang leader who died in a police encounter.

The filmmakers market Dhurandhar as “inspired by incredible true events.” 

However, the connections the film draws between these Karachi figures and cross-border terror lack any documented basis. 

The trailer also features imagery resembling the 1999 Indian Airlines hijacking in Kandahar, suggesting the film weaves multiple narratives together under its “true events” claim.

Veteran Pakistani actor Noman Ijaz has made a stark revelation about the entertainment industry, claiming that jealousy and resentment define relationships among showbiz personalities.

In a recent interview, the acclaimed actor responded to criticism from director and actress Sangeeta, who had accused him of unprofessional behavior during her appearance on Nadia Khan’s show. 

Sangeeta claimed Ijaz took full payment for her drama serial Bhulley Shah three years ago but refused to work when shooting started, keeping the project hanging with various excuses.

Without naming anyone, Ijaz shared his candid observations about the industry’s toxic culture.

“I have learned over these many years that everyone in our industry holds grudges,” Ijaz said.

“If you decline a project for any reason or out of necessity, people take it personally. They think, ‘He refused me, so I will never work with him again’.”

The actor acknowledged the toll this environment has taken on his career but expressed a philosophical acceptance of his situation. 

“I have many enemies in this field […] they say the more enemies you have, the more success Allah grants you. But I never want my son to endure all this, to get trapped among people with this kind of mentality. However, if this is his destiny, I cannot do anything about it.”

Ijaz, whose son Zaviyar has entered the industry, expressed concern about the inherited animosity affecting his son’s career. 

“I have told Zaviyar that I pray those who hold grudges against me don’t take it out on you. Unfortunately, such people are finding different ways to show their spite,” he said.

“Insha’Allah, he will learn from these setbacks. Stumbling is essential to becoming a good and great person.”

The actor also criticised social media for having transformed the industry’s dynamics and diverting the new generation’s focus. 

“I feel the new generation’s attention has strayed because of the increased exposure social media provides. They can easily make money through social media,” he explained.

“The curiosity that people once had about artists has diminished because of social media. Artists now post everything online for money. When fans see them on every other page or site, their desire and curiosity to watch them disappears,” Ijaz said.

He also said that artists today “focus on improving their appearance rather than their talent”.

The Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) Lifestyle Monitoring Cell has detected suspected tax evasion involving a prominent Pakistani actress with around 10 million social media followers who got married early this year.

According to preliminary findings, the Lahore-based film and television star spent approximately Rs67.7 million on her lavish wedding from allegedly undeclared funds, media reports have stated.

The FBR discovered a significant mismatch between her declared income and her lifestyle.

Reports added that the actress registered with the FBR nine years ago, but her income tax declarations show she does not have the declared financial health to afford a wedding costing Rs 67.7 million and frequent international travels, including a reported trip to Dubai for her birthday celebration.

The FBR’s investigation revealed that open-source evidence from social media videos, reels, and posts documents expenditures on venues, catering, attire, jewelry, and production totaling around Rs 67.7 million. The actress did not declare any of these outlays on her tax returns.

The Lifestyle Monitoring Cell found that the actress failed to disclose substantial wedding expenditures in her wealth statements or expense summaries. This suggests she paid these expenses from unreported income sources.

The FBR declared that the evidence strongly supports that huge amounts of concealed income financed the wedding. The pattern observed across multiple years with consistent, high-value expenses suggests intentional avoidance of taxation rather than oversight.

The tax authority has proposed several actions under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001. These include conducting a comprehensive audit of tax years 2020-2025 to scrutinize income sources, bank statements, credit card records, and expenditure patterns.

The FBR also recommends issuing a notice under Section 111 for unexplained income or assets. If the actress cannot satisfactorily explain where the wedding and travel expenses came from, the amounts should be treated as concealed income and added to her taxable income.

The board may amend assessments and recover tax under Section 122, impose penalties for concealment under Section 182, and consider prosecution under Section 192A for willful tax evasion if deemed appropriate.

The actress has established herself as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry with roles in popular television dramas and films. 

She has around 10 million followers on Instagram, over 30,000 subscribers on YouTube, around two million followers on Twitter, and over 2.54 million followers on Facebook, reports added.

While there is no official confirmation as of yet, it is worth mentioning that actress Mawra Hocane is among the very few celebrities who got married earlier this year. She also has 9.9 million followers on Instagram, 31,000 subscribers on YouTube, 2.4 million followers on Facebook and 1.9 million followers on X.

YouTuber Rajab Butt has revealed he earned over Rs9 crores through TikTok live sessions during his extended absence from YouTube.

In a recent podcast appearance, Butt disclosed he lost two to three crores during the two-and-a-half months he stayed away from vlogging while in the United Kingdom (UK).

“I didn’t do YouTube for one and a half months. I didn’t appear in a single vlog. I was completely cut off,” Butt said. “In one and a half months, I did TikTok live heavily, and I made significant money from it.”

The YouTuber explained his absence from vlogs stemmed from severe depression caused by UK weather conditions.

“I was depressed as hell. I go outside, it’s raining. UK weather ruined my mental health. I said, I’m not vlogging,” he explained, adding that his family and friends continued creating content without him.

Butt noted his viewership dropped dramatically during his absence, falling from three million to one million views. However, he claimed the numbers bounced back to four million immediately after his return to Pakistan.

“The day I landed in Pakistan, it directly went back to four million, three million again, because Rajab family belongs to Rajab,” he stated. 

Despite his minimal presence on TikTok, Butt claims he earned substantial amounts through live streaming on the platform.

“I made over nine crores in one and a half months through TikTok live. I didn’t even come on TikTok much,” he claimed. 

The British government expelled Butt in the second week of December after discovering he concealed criminal cases when applying for his visa approximately 18 months ago.

His return to Pakistan brought fresh controversy when lawyers allegedly attacked him during a court appearance at Karachi City Court on Monday.

Barrister Mian Ali Ashfaq, Butt’s lawyer, filed an FIR against Advocate Riaz Ali Solangi and his associates. The charges include sections 147, 148, 382, 506 and 337 A(1) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The lawyers reportedly attacked Butt because he insulted their profession in a viral video where he mocked Karachi lawyers who claimed they got him placed on the Exit Control List and brought him back from the UK.

Multiple cases currently hang over the YouTuber, including allegations related to cybercrime filed across various jurisdictions.

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency filed an FIR against Butt in September, accusing him of using his social media accounts to promote illegal gambling apps including Binomo, 1xBet, Bet365 and B9 Game. Investigators claim these platforms deceived users by collecting money without delivering promised returns.

Butt had appeared in court to attend a hearing in a blasphemy case filed by Haideri Police Station. The court had already granted him interim bail in the matter.

The YouTuber previously faced controversy over his “295 Perfume” launch, where critics accused him of making light of blasphemy laws by naming a product after Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with blasphemy offenses.

In December 2024, police and the Wildlife Department arrested Butt for illegally keeping a lion cub he received as a wedding gift.  Authorities also recovered an illegal firearm from his residence in Lahore’s Chuhng area.

The lion cub was presented to him in a gold-chained cage during his wedding celebrations, and videos of the gift went viral with nearly 10 million views. A Lahore court sentenced him to one year of community service, directing him to produce monthly vlogs on animal rights starting February 2025. 

The court ordered the confiscated lion cub to be permanently housed at Lahore Safari Zoo.

As 2025 comes to an end, we take a look back at the controversies that made it a turbulent year for Pakistan’s entertainment and influencer community, capturing public attention month after month.

The year began with the Punjab government imposing a lifetime ban on stage actresses accused of promoting vulgarity, setting the tone for a year of moral and legal scrutiny. January also saw Rajab Butt sentenced to posting animal rights videos for receiving a lion cub as a wedding gift, which was transferred to Lahore Safari Zoo.

In February, the son of actor Sajid Hasan was arrested in connection with the murder of Mustafa Aamir in Karachi, highlighting celebrity links to criminal investigations and drugs trafficking.

March brought the Nadia Hussain–FIA controversy, intensified by her husband’s financial fraud case, sparking debates on cybercrime and celebrity accountability. 

April saw India block Pakistani entertainment content, alongside the widely discussed date-fix ceremony of TikTok couple Rabeeca Khan and Hussain Tareen.

While rising cross-border tensions between Pakistan and India overshadowed any celebrity controversies in May, several actors, primarily known for their roles in Indian projects, faced criticism for remaining silent and not immediately expressing support for Pakistan.

June and July were marred by tragedy as teen influencer Sana Yousaf was murdered by a stalker and actress Humaira Asghar Ali was found dead in her Karachi apartment after months of isolation.

August and September brought legal battles for online personalities, with Ducky Bhai arrested for promoting gambling apps and Rajab Butt fleeing to the UK to avoid arrest, only to return in December.

In October, an episode of the online reality show Lazawal Ishq sparked backlash after a male contestant hugged and kissed a female participant on the head while she cried. The clip from episode 14 went viral on social media, with many calling it inappropriate. After weeks of criticism, Lazawal Ishq was finally removed from YouTube for Pakistani audiences in December. 

High-profile media clashes also dominated the year. In November, Nadia Khan publicly grilled rapper Talha Anjum for waving the Indian flag during his Nepal concert, generating debate over lack of journalistic conduct by celebrities on news channels.

December closed the year with backlash against morning show host Nida Yasir over insensitive remarks toward Foodpanda delivery riders and tipping culture.

From bans and arrests to viral controversies and tragic deaths, 2025 underscored the fragility of celebrity status in Pakistan, highlighting the intense scrutiny, public accountability and occasional legal entanglements that define the country’s entertainment landscape.

Police have registered a case against several lawyers who allegedly attacked YouTuber Rajab Butt during his court appearance at the Karachi City Court.

According to reports, Barrister Mian Ali Ashfaq, Butt’s lawyer, filed the First Information Report (FIR) against Advocate Riaz Ali Solangi and his associates.

The charges include sections 147, 148, 382, 506 and 337 A(1) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

In his statement, Barrister Ashfaq said he had accompanied his client to the court to seek interim bail. When they arrived, Advocate Riaz Ali Solangi, Abdul Fatah and 15 to 20 other individuals attacked Butt and left him injured.

“He was also harassed and threatened with death. His bag, which contained three lakh rupees in cash, was snatched from him,” said Ashfaq.

Butt had come to court to attend a hearing in a blasphemy case that Haideri Police Station filed against him. The court had already granted him interim bail in the matter.

The lawyers reportedly said they attacked Butt because he insulted their profession in a viral video.

Butt had earlier responded to Karachi lawyers who claimed they had gotten him placed on the Exit Control List (ECL), blocked his passport and brought him back from the United Kingdom (UK) to Pakistan.

“I have seen the video of Karachi lawyers saying they have put my name in the ECL, they blocked my passport, they summoned me from the UK to Pakistan. However, my name is in the Pakistan’s Passport Control List (PCL),” Butt said in the video.

“Let me tell you one thing: you don’t have that much worth, nor do you possess the caliber to bring me from the UK to Lahore. You don’t even look like lawyers to me. The way you dress, you sit there chewing gutka. You don’t even know whether my name is in the ECL or PCL,” he added.

The assault occurred as soon as Butt, along with fellow TikToker Nadeem Mubarak entered the court compound on Monday.

Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers beat the YouTuber and inflicted injuries to his jaw and mouth, which led to bleeding. They also tore his clothes during the assault. His legal counsel tried to intervene and stop the attack.

Court staff and police personnel arrived at the scene and dispersed the attackers.

Singer Shae Gill has shared an update with fans after she was hit by a drone while performing live in Islamabad.

According to the details, the accident took place as a drone operating close to the stage struck Gill’s hand during her performance at the three-day Grand Carnival in the federal capital’s Park View City on Sunday.

“I was performing at Park View City Islamabad and they handed the controller of a drone to an amateur. That drone was superfast and it came straight at me. That’s how my hand got cut so bad,” Gill said on Instagram.

She assured fans that she was fine and had received medical care. “I’m okay now, though. Got my tetanus injection as well. Thank you for checking up on me.”

Park View City Islamabad had organised the Grand Carnival as a closed, family-only event spread over three days. Alongside Gill, the event featured live performances by Sahir Ali Bagga and Falak Shabbir.

Gill rose to national recognition after the release of ‘Pasoori’, which she recorded alongside Ali Sethi for Coke Studio in 2022.

The song became the most streamed Pakistani track in December 2022, reaching 201 million streams on Spotify.