LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday issued orders to release anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan on bail and adjourned the hearing on the plea for the expulsion of cases till July 19.
Justice Ali Baqar Najafi took up the petition, which was moved by lawyers Shazib Masud, Mian Ali Ashfaq, Rana Abdul Maruf Khan and Mian Izhar Ahmed on Imran Riaz’s behalf.
The petition requested the court to suspend the “operations of all … FIRs till the final decision of this case and direct the respondents to produce the petitioner before this honourable court and release the forthwith till the final disposal of the instant petition”.
The Punjab government and inspector general of police (IGP) were nominated as respondents in the petition.
Imran, who is facing charges of treasons in multiple cases, was initially taken into custody by Attock police near Islamabad on Tuesday night. He was later granted relief by a local court in the wee hours of Thursday, only to be immediately arrested by a team of Chakwal police outside the courtroom.
He was then shifted to Lahore, prior to which a local court of Chakwal district had allowed his judicial remand.
It emerged on Friday that Lahore police had handed over the journalist to the Crime Investigation Agency in a case pertaining to the abetment of mutiny and criticism of state institutions.
Earlier today, the police presented the journalist before a local court to seek his remand in a case registered at the Civil Lines police station. The magistrate discharged him from the case, after which Imran Riaz was taken to the LHC.
At the outset of the hearing in the LHC on Saturday, Imran Riaz’s lawyer thanked the court for taking up the petition on a public holiday.
At this, Justice Najafi remarked: “It is our obligation. We have to protect the Constitution.”
The lawyer then told the LHC that his client had approached a court the very next day after an FIR was registered against him. “But he was arrested at Islamabad Toll Plaza,” he said, claiming that the police had concealed the record of the case in which Imran Riaz was taken into custody from the LHC in another plea.
The police, the lawyer alleged, “wanted to arrest Imran Riaz and that is why [they] did not inform the court about those FIRs”.
The lawyer claimed the incumbent government was suppressing opposing voices from journalists. PTI party leaders have on several occasions praised the journalist by name.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the journalist to appear before the magistrate on the next working day. The judge remarked that Khan’s lawyer assured the court that he will not give any statement in future which would create trouble.
Imran Riaz Khan said, “I am also assuring the court that I will not deliver such statements again.”
Advocate General Punjab pleaded with the court to grant him bail in the Chakwal case. He added that he would not be arrested in any other case.
After listening to the arguments, the LHC approved the anchorperson’s bail.
