YouTuber from Gujranwala booked for criminal intimidation of women

A YouTuber from Gujranwala was arrested on Thursday for the criminal intimidation of women and has confessed to doing so for the sake of amassing a large following on the video platform.

The focal person to Chief Minister Punjab on digital media, Azhar Mashwani, reported that the man has been booked and arrested.

A police report was filed against the man, identified as Muhammad Ali, after the complainant said he saw him along with three unidentified companions harassing women outside a girls college in Gakhar Mandi.

"He was behaving in a lewd manner in the middle of the road, taking off their dupattas and leaving them exposed, while his friends were recording it on video," states the FIR.

The FIR goes on to state that when the complainant asked Ali to stop, he "took out his hand pistol, used abusive language against him, and threatened to kill him".

The complainant also named two witnesses who saw the entire series of events unfold.

The complainant said that he has watched Ali's YouTube videos where he has seen him behave in an obscene manner with women, which he said he is ready to present as evidence.

He asked that the police take legal action against Ali and provide him justice.

A case was registered by police under Sections 354 (assault or use of criminal force to woman and stripping her of her clothes), 506 B (punishment for criminal intimidation), 294 (obscene acts and songs) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

A video was also shared by Mashwani, showing Ali in handcuffs and apologising for his behaviour that led to the "humiliation" of women.

"I am apologising because I used women in my videos with the aim of increasing the number of my followers," he can be heard saying.

Ali also promised he will "never again" make such a video.