Anchor Imran Riaz released after Lahore court frees him in new case – Pakistan

The Lahore Police on Friday released anchor Imran Riaz Khan after a local court freed him from a fresh case in which he was arrested a day ago.

Riaz was arrested from the Allama Iqbal International Airport on Tuesday evening in a currency fraud case.

Footage of the arrest, which showed the journalist wearing an ihram as he left for Saudi Arabia for Haj, had gone viral on social media, with the PTI calling for his release.

The police had sought his seven-day remand during Wednesday's hearing before the Judicial Magistrate of the Model Municipal Court.

The prosecutor had said that the anchor borrowed Rs 0.25 billion from the complainant but never returned the money. After hearing arguments from both sides, Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Kamran Zafar reserved the verdict and granted Riaz police remand for one day.

By announcing the verdict on Thursday, the judge discharged the presenter from the fraud case.

However, Riaz was later arrested in court in a separate case regarding interference with police, which was registered at Sarwar Road police station and said he had damaged a fence near the Lahore airport .

Today, the anchor was produced before Judicial Magistrate Hafiz Kashif while lawyers Mian Ali Ashfaq and Rana Maroof appeared as his lawyers.

The prosecution sought remand of Riaz for 10 days on the grounds that the remaining accused should be arrested based on the presenter's indications.

After hearing the arguments of both the parties and perusing the case, the judicial magistrate discharged Riaz from the case.

In the written order, a copy of which is available on Dawn.com, the judge noted that nothing in the record suggested that the defendant was driving a vehicle at the time of the alleged event.

She observed that no statement of any of the eyewitnesses was recorded either.

No evidence is available on record to suggest that accused Imran Riaz Khan resorted to assault or criminal force to deter any public servant from discharging his duties, the judge said, noting that the record does not also did not say how the presenter had obstructed a duty of civil servants.

Finding that the evidence against Riaz was insufficient, the judge ordered his release if he was not wanted in other cases.

Subsequently, the anchor was released by the Sarwar Road police.

Ashfaq posted visuals of the presenter after his release on social media platform X.

Maroof said those who concocted false accusations against Riaz had been defeated.

Arrest and rearrest

Riaz was arrested two days after violent protests erupted across the country following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9, 2023.

He was reportedly taken to Cantt police station after his arrest and then to Sialkot jail. On May 15, 2023, a judicial officer told the Lahore High Court (LHC) that the presenter was released from prison after giving a written undertaking. However, his whereabouts are unknown.

Subsequently, an FIR on the alleged kidnapping of Riaz was registered with the Sialkot Civil Police on May 16, 2023, following a complaint from the anchor's father, Muhammad Riaz.

The FIR was registered against unidentified persons and police officials for allegedly kidnapping Riaz, invoking Section 365 of the PPC (kidnapping or kidnapping with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person).

The journalist's father had also filed a plea with the LHC for his recovery.

During a hearing of the case on May 19, 2023, the presenter's father had tears in his eyes in the LHC, begging for mercy, as his son's whereabouts were unknown. The next day, the LHC chief justice had ordered the police to recover and produce the anchor by May 22 last year.

On that date, the LHC had directed the Home and Defense ministries to fulfill their constitutional obligations to carry out the recovery of the presenter after the Inspector General of Punjab revealed that there was no no trace of the journalist in any police department in the country.

The LHC was later informed that Inter-Services and Military Intelligence had stated that the presenter was not in their custody. On May 26 last year, the High Court had ordered all agencies to work together to find the presenter and present him in court by May 30, 2023.

When that date came, the Punjab police chief had told the LHC that phone numbers dating back to Afghanistan were involved in the case.

The anchor's lawyer had claimed during the hearing on June 6 last year that his patience was running out, even as the Punjab government had informed the High Court that efforts were on to trace the journalist.

During the July 5 hearing, the LHC set July 25 as the deadline for police to find the missing journalist. However, no hearing could take place on the fixed date due to the unavailability of the benches.

During this particular hearing, retired Brigadier Falak Naz, representing the Ministry of Defense, had informed the court: We are working on location of the scene and other issues. We are trying to get Imran Riaz back as soon as possible.

On September 6, the Punjab police chief had told the LHC that the police would give him good news in the coming days, after which he was given a deadline till September 13.

However, failing to bring major good news, the police chief assured the court on September 13 that the investigation was going in the right direction.

On September 20, the LHC had given the Punjab police chief one last chance to recover Riaz before September 26, adjourning the proceedings in a petition demanding his recovery by then.

He was finally released on September 25, after more than four months of disappearance.

Earlier this year, Riaz was arrested in a corruption case relating to the Dhrabi Lake contract in Chakwal and was later released on bail by a special court. However, the presenter was arrested again in another case relating to violence outside the Imrans Zaman Park residence.

On March 10, an anti-terrorism court had granted him bail after his arrest against sureties worth Rs 200,000.

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