Lahore police released anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan on Friday following a court order discharging him from a recent monetary fraud case. Riaz was detained at Allama Iqbal International Airport on Tuesday night as he prepared to depart for Haj in Saudi Arabia. He drew significant social media attention and calls for his release by the PTI.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the police requested a seven-day physical remand, which the court limited to one day. The case involved an accusation that Riaz had failed to return Rs0.25 billion borrowed from a complainant. After deliberation, Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Kamran Zafar cleared Riaz of the charges on Thursday.
Read: Journalist Imran Riaz Khan Detained at Lahore Airport En Route to Hajj
However, Riaz faced immediate re-arrest on charges related to interfering with police duties following allegations that he damaged a barrier near Lahore airport. This separate case brought him before Judicial Magistrate Hafiz Kashif, where his lawyers, Advocates Mian Ali Ashfaq and Rana Maroof, defended him. The prosecution requested a 10-day remand based on ongoing investigations, which the magistrate denied, citing insufficient evidence of any wrongdoing by Riaz.
The judge’s order noted no proof that Riaz drove a vehicle during the incident or used force against public servants. As a result, he was released, provided he was not required for other cases.
Following his release, his lawyer, Ashfaq, shared visuals of Riaz on social media, and Maroof declared the allegations against Riaz unfounded.
This pattern of arrest and re-arrest has marked Riaz’s recent history. His arrest followed widespread protests over the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9, 2023. Riaz was previously detained and then reported missing, leading to a high-profile search. His father filed an FIR and a plea in the Lahore High Court (LHC), which led to a directive for his recovery by May 30, 2023. Despite extensive efforts and a series of court-mandated deadlines, it wasn’t until September 25 that Riaz was confirmed to be released after more than four months.
More recently, Riaz faced arrest over a graft case linked to Dhrabi Lake’s contract in Chakwal, although he was later bailed. His re-arrest related to disturbances outside Imran Khan’s residence also ended with bail being granted by an anti-terrorism court on March 10.
