Rajab Butt apologises over ‘extremely inappropriate’ child abuse joke

YouTuber Rajab Butt on Tuesday apologised for an “extremely inappropriate” and “below the belt” joke about child sexual abuse.

He posted an apology on his Instagram story after facing backlash on social media over the insensitive remark at a time when sexual abuse remains a serious concern in the country.

During a live broadcast with Zaid Ali, Butt compared his facial expression to that of a child who had been abused. Addressing the backlash, the YouTuber wrote, “Over the past few days, a video of mine has been circulating in which I said something that was extremely inappropriate and, regardless of my intentions or the situation at the time, completely below the belt.”

“A joke like that is never, ever, okay,” he added.

“Jokes like these have unfortunately been normalised in our society, particularly in gatherings among boys,” he said. “Knowing how grave and painful the situation in our country is when it comes to this particular issue, I should have been more sensitive. Even beyond that, it is something that should never have been made a joke about in the first place.”

“From the bottom of my heart, I apologise to everyone whose sentiments I have hurt, whose traumas I may have triggered and who I have made uncomfortable through my words,” Rajab Butt said.

“This is an old video, but I understand that its age does not excuse what was said.”

He added: “I am trying to learn, unlearn and become more mindful and reasonable about the things I say and the impact they can have. I am genuinely sorry. Thank you.”