PECA case filed against Rajab Butt over perfume name

Renowned vlogger Rajab Butt has found himself in hot water after launching his perfume "295," which sparked criticism online. A case was registered against him under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016.

The controversy emerged on the name of the perfume, which references Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code, a law that deals with blasphemy and punishment for insulting religious beliefs or the Holy Prophet.

The law consists of three sub-sections, including 295-A (Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 295-B (Defiling, etc., of Holy Quran), and 295-C (Use of derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of the Holy Prophet), is considered highly sensitive in Pakistan.

Read: YouTuber Rajab Butt apologizes, discontinues controversial ‘295 Perfume’

By using this number for his perfume, Rajab ignited a firestorm of criticism, with many accusing him of disrespecting Islamic values.

In response to the backlash, another FIR was filed against Rajab at the Nishtar Police Station in Lahore, accusing him of hurting sentiments. 

Following backlash, vlogger apologised for his actions, stating that he never intended to offend or nullify the legal section related to blasphemy. He also announced that he will be discontinuing the perfume.

Interestingly, Rajab claimed that the perfume was actually named after Indian singer Sidhu Moosewala’s song "295", and was not intended as a direct reference to Pakistan’s blasphemy law.