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The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday gave the Punjab police chief a \u201clast opportunity\u201d to recover missing anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan by September 26, adjourning the proceedings in a petition demanding his recovery till then.<\/p>\n
Imran Riaz \u2014 a YouTuber and television anchor \u2014 was arrested<\/a> two days after violent protests<\/a> broke out across the country following PTI Chairman Imran Khan\u2019s arrest<\/a> on May 9.<\/p>\n He was last known to be taken to Cantt police station after his arrest and later to the Sialkot prison. On May 15, a law officer told the court<\/a> that the anchorperson was released from jail after taking an undertaking in writing. His whereabouts remain unknown.<\/p>\n Subsequently, a first information report (FIR) of Imran\u2019s alleged abduction was registered<\/a> with Sialkot Civil Lines police on May 16 on the complaint of the anchorperson\u2019s father, Muhammad Riaz.<\/p>\n The FIR was registered against \u201cunidentified persons\u201d and police officials for allegedly kidnapping Imran, invoking Section 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) of the Pakistan Penal Code.<\/p>\n The journalist\u2019s father also filed a plea in the LHC for his recovery.<\/p>\n In the previous hearing on September 13 \u2014 about a week after he had promised<\/a> good news \u2014 Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr Usman Anwar had told the court that the investigation was \u201cgoing in the right direction\u201d.<\/p>\n Today, LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti presided over the hearing of Riaz\u2019s petition. IG Anwar and Riaz\u2019s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, both appeared before the court.<\/p>\n At the request of the Punjab IG to be given time till next week, the court granted him time till September 26 and adjourned the hearing till then.<\/p>\n The court order issued later stated, \u201cThis last opportunity on the request of IG Punjab is granted to produce the detenue namely Muhammad Imran Riaz, failing which proceedings will be initiated in accordance with law.\u201d<\/p>\n At the outset of the hearing, Justice Bhatti asked the Punjab IG where the \u201cabductee\u201d was, to which the latter replied, \u201cThere has been a meeting of the joint working group. There will also be another meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n The LHC CJ then said that in his opinion, \u201cproceedings should be started now\u201d against the police, at which IG Anwar requested the court to give him a \u201cchance\u201d.<\/p>\n Here, Justice Bhatti remarked, \u201cIt has been five months now. My patience has run out.\u201d<\/p>\n At this, the IG informed the court that the provincial intelligence chief was not present in Lahore, hence, the working group\u2019s next meeting will be held on Friday (September 22).<\/p>\n IG Anwar then requested the court to grant him time till next week, to which Riaz\u2019s lawyer said, \u201cIf the court gives [them] only 24 hours, then we have no objection.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have lost our patience as well,\u201d the petitioner\u2019s lawyer added.<\/p>\n Subsequently, the LHC granted the Punjab IG a \u201clast opportunity\u201d till September 26 to recover the missing anchorperson, and adjourned the hearing till then.<\/p>\n During a May 19 hearing of the case, the anchorperson\u2019s father had become teary-eyed<\/a> in the LHC, pleading for mercy, as the whereabouts of his son remained unknown. The next day, the LHC chief justice had ordered<\/a> the police to recover and present the anchorperson by May 22.<\/p>\n On that date, the LHC had directed the ministries of interior and defence to \u201cdischarge their constitutional duties to effect the recovery\u201d of the anchorperson after IG Anwar revealed that there was no trace<\/a> of the journalist at any police department across the country.<\/p>\n The LHC was subsequently informed<\/a> that both the Inter-Services Intelligence and the Military Intelligence had said the anchorperson was not in their custody. On May 26, the high court had directed \u201call the agencies\u201d<\/a> to work together to find the anchorperson and produce him in the court by May 30.<\/p>\n When that date arrived, IG Anwar told the LHC<\/a> that phone numbers which had been traced back to Afghanistan were involved in the case.<\/p>\n The anchorperson\u2019s lawyer contended<\/a> in the June 6 hearing that their patience was \u201cwearing thin\u201d even as the Punjab government had informed the high court that efforts to find the journalist were underway.<\/p>\n During the July 5 hearing, the LHC had established a deadline of July 25<\/a> for the police to locate the missing journalist. However, no hearing could be held on the designated date due to the bench\u2019s unavailability.<\/p>\n In that particular hearing, retired Brigadier Falak Naz, representing the Ministry of Defence, had informed the court: \u201cWe are working on tracing locations and other issues. We are trying to recover Imran Riaz as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n On September 6, IG Anwar told LHC that the police would deliver \u201cgood news\u201d<\/a> in the next few days, following which he was granted time till September 13.<\/p>\nThe hearing<\/h2>\n
Previous proceedings<\/h2>\n