July 6, 2022 – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) took notice of journalist Imran Riaz Khan’s arrest near Islamabad on Tuesday night and issued notices to the Islamabad police chief and chief commissioner following a petition from Riaz’s legal team. The anchorperson was detained while he was travelling to Islamabad to acquire pre-arrest bail in a treason case registered against him. The LHC has, however, disposed of Riaz’s appeal stating that it does not fall under its jurisdiction.
In a contempt petition filed by Riaz’s legal team on Tuesday night, the police chiefs of Islamabad and Punjab as well as the chief commissioner of the federal capital were named as respondents. They were directed by Justice Athar Minallah to appear before the court at 10m today, Wednesday.
Presiding over the hearing of Riaz’s petition, Justice Minallah directed the anchorperson’s legal team to approach the Lahore High Court (LHC) as it would be in their “best interest”. He said that since the arrest was made in Attock the IHC had no jurisdiction to entertain Riaz’s case. The court was not making observations in the case as Riaz was arrested by the Punjab police, remarked Justice Minallah, subsequently disposing of the petition. Riaz’s legal team, however, expressed gratitude to the court for taking immediate late-night action on their appeal.
Riaz’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, told reporters that he filed a petition last week with the LHC asking for details regarding cases being registered one after another against Riaz across Punjab. According to the report submitted by the Punjab Inspector General of Police on July 4, 17 cases are registered against the journalist across the province. The case in which Riaz was arrested was filed on June 29 in Attock and was not disclosed in the report. Riaz was booked under several sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA) in the treason case.
“We have simultaneously initiated contempt proceedings in the LHC that the Punjab police gave a record of only 17 cases while an eighteenth case had been registered five days before the report was submitted [in the court] and it was kept hidden,” said Riaz’s lawyer. “It’s the same case in which Imran Riaz Khan has been arrested.”
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan condemned Riaz’s arrest and called it an example of the state’s descent into fascism.
“I strongly condemn the arbitrary arrest of Imran Riaz Khan by Punjab police tonight,” said the former prime minister. “The country is descending into fascism just to make our nation accept an Imported Govt comprising mega crooks. It is time for everyone, especially the media, to unite and stand up against this fascism.”
I strongly condemn the arbitrary arrest of @ImranRiazKhan by Punjab police tonight. The country is descending into fascism just to make our nation accept an Imported Govt comprising of mega crooks. It is time for everyone, esp the media, to unite & stand up against this fascism.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 5, 2022
PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry and Shehbaz Gill also questioned Riaz’s detention.
Earlier in May, several FIRs had surfaced against senior journalists, including Riaz, for allegedly criticising state institutions. The FIR against Riaz was filed at the Dhabeji police station in Thatta. The complainant had heard the journalist talking against the army and state institutions in a “derogatory and provocative language” on social media, according to the FIR. Riaz was booked under Sections 131 (incitement to mutiny), 153 (provoking to cause riot), 452 (trespassing) and 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
