No trace of Imran Riaz in any police Dept. across Pakistan: Punjab IG tells LHC

The whereabouts of anchor Imran Riaz Khan, who was detained at the Sialkot airport on May 11, remain unknown, according to Punjab Inspector General Dr. Usman Anwar, who stated this to the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday.

The senior official spoke while the LHC was listening to a request for Imran’s recovery. The LHC had once more ordered Punjab police to locate and present the anchorperson at the previous hearing. Imran was not, however, brought before the court during today’s hearing by the police. Imran was one of those people detained following the protests that broke out after the PTI chairman’s arrest.

Later, his lawyer told media that a writ petition was filed on May 12 over the anchorperson’s arrest and the LHC directed the attorney general to present him before the court the same day. But, after its orders were not followed, Sialkot police were given a 48-hour deadline to recover Imran.

A first information report (FIR) pertaining to the matter was registered with Civil Lines police the next day on May 16 on the complaint of the anchorperson’s father, Muhammad Riaz.

The FIR was registered against “unidentified persons” and police officials for allegedly kidnapping Riaz, invoking Section 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) of the Pakistan Penal Code.