YouTuber charged with blasphemy over perfume

Butt launched his 295’ perfume which refers to blasphemy law in penal code; Youtuber issues an apology video asserting he is not against the blasphemy laws

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A Pakistani YouTube star has been charged with blasphemy after launching a perfume named after the very law he has fallen foul of, police said on Tuesday.

Rajab Butt has one of the largest online fol- lowings in the country and has been embroiled in controversy for years, including over his brief custody of a lion cub.

In arecent video, since deleted from his social media accounts, Butt launched his “295” perfume which refers to blasphemy legislation in the penal code.

He scidit followed a case filed against him last year over an earlier video deemed blasphemous by radicals.

Hisperfume publicitysparkedfurtherire, prompt- ing the leader of the radical Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to file a complaint late on Monday.

“Ourreligious sentiments have been hurt,” said TLP leader Haider Ali Shah Gillani, whose party puts blasphemy as its central concern.

“There are numerous sections in the penal code but why did he choose blasphemy-related sections to name a perfume?” he told reporters.

“This means you acknowledge the offence and are celebrating it. This is essentially an attempt to normalise such actions,” he said.