The Lahore High Court (LHC) has temporarily adjourned the proceedings in the case of missing anchorperson Imran Riaz, after the Inspector General (IG) of Punjab police assured the court that the investigation is progressing in the right direction.
Imran Riaz, a renowned YouTuber and television anchor, was arrested shortly after violent protests erupted across the country in response to the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan on May 9. After his arrest, he was taken to Cantt police station and then transferred to Sialkot prison. However, on May 15, it was reported that Riaz was released from jail after providing a written undertaking. His current whereabouts remain unknown.
Imran Riaz was one of several journalists who were taken into custody following the May 9 protests. Subsequently, an FIR (First Information Report) was registered with the Sialkot Civil Lines police on May 16 by the anchorperson’s father, Muhammad Riaz. The FIR accuses unidentified individuals and police officials of the abduction of Riaz under section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
A plea for Riaz’s recovery was also filed by his father in the Lahore High Court.
During a previous hearing on September 6, the Punjab Inspector General (IG), Dr. Usman Anwar, informed the court that there has been positive progress in the case and promised to deliver good news within the next 10 to 15 days. Today, Justice Bhatti inquired about the progress of the case from the Punjab IG, who assured the court that the investigation is moving in the right direction. The hearing was then adjourned until September 20.
Imran Riaz’s father, while speaking to the press outside the court, expressed his desire to see his son standing in front of him and expressed gratitude for the ongoing efforts to locate his son.
Previous proceedings in the case included emotional pleas from the anchorperson’s father, ordering the police to recover and present Riaz to the court. The ministries of interior and defence were instructed to fulfill their constitutional duties in recovering Riaz, and various agencies, including the Inter-Services Intelligence and the Military Intelligence, denied having custody of the anchorperson.
Despite the challenges, the Punjab government has confirmed that efforts to locate Imran Riaz are ongoing. His lawyer, Mian Ashfaq Ali, remains hopeful that Riaz will be found and recovered soon as all relevant institutions continue their search.