The Punjab government disclosed to the Lahore High Court (LHC) that it was actively seeking to locate renowned anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan, who has been missing since his arrest on May 11.
The court was petitioned to aid in the search for the missing anchorperson, who was detained during protests following the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
Police confirmed that the anchorperson was arrested at Sialkot airport and transferred to prison. However, following the government’s withdrawal of his detention orders, he was released and has been untraceable ever since.
A formal complaint was filed by Imran’s father, Muhammad Riaz, on May 16 with the Civil Lines police. The complaint against unidentified persons and police officials for the alleged abduction of Imran led to the initiation of an FIR under Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which pertains to kidnapping or abduction with the intention of wrongful confinement.
Previously, the Punjab Inspector General, Dr. Usman Anwar, had informed the LHC about phone numbers traced back to Afghanistan being linked to the case. Furthermore, a special Punjab police working group convened on Monday to assess the efforts of all police units, including the Counter Terrorism Department, in the search for the missing anchorperson. An official statement revealed that this working group was liaising with the Ministry of Defence to exchange information regarding Imran.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Punjab Advocate General Shan Gul updated the court on the ongoing efforts to locate the missing anchorperson. He stated that the Punjab police chief had requested his assistance in the case and that Imran’s father was invited to join the special working group formed for this purpose. In addition, he sought the court’s permission to share information provided by the defense ministry regarding the case.
The anchorperson’s lawyer expressed their dwindling patience with the situation to the court. In response, the LHC Chief Justice urged Imran’s father to bring his concerns to the Punjab police working group and adjourned the hearing until the following week.
