LAHORE: Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar informed the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday that the whereabouts of anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan, who was detained at the Sialkot airport on May 11, are still unknown since no record of his custody at any police station across the nation has been discovered.
When the high court was hearing a petition demanding the journalist’s recovery, the chief police officer of the province gave notice. The Punjab police were granted an opportunity to introduce Imran Riaz in court today at the prior hearing by the LHC. They continue to fail to carry out the directives, nevertheless.
Imran Riaz was one of many persons detained following the violent protests that broke out on May 9 after PTI Chairman Imran Khan was taken into custody in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
Unknown people and police officers were accused of kidnapping Imran Riaz in a report filed against the missing anchorperson at the Civil Lines police station.
LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti asked about the status of the case during today’s session. The journalist was not wanted by the police, according to the Punjab IG, who also stated that no signs of him had been discovered at any of the nation’s police stations.
He added that organisations had requested a police van. The court then said that he might call the agencies in to give a response.
IG Usman Anwar requested that the court ask the secretaries of the interior and defence ministries for their responses, adding that they should be instructed to support the police. He claimed that the Punjab police had contacted the Ministry of Interior as well, but had not yet heard back.
The judge offered the top police officer another opportunity to produce the missing anchorperson in court after hearing from him and issued a warning that if Imran Riaz was harmed, all guilty individuals would be held accountable.
A report of today’s proceedings would be issued, according to Justice Bhatti.
