LAHORE: Known YouTuber and television anchor, Imran Riaz Khan — who had been missing for more than four months on Monday “returned and is now safe at home”, his lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq and Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar confirmed.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sialkot District Police claimed that journalist and anchor Imran Riaz Khan had been safely recovered and he was now with his family.
Journalist/Anchor Mr.Imran Riaz Khan has been safely recovered. He is now with his family.
صحافی/اینکر عمران ریاض خان صاحب بازیاب ہو چکے ہیں۔ وہ اپنے گھر پہنچ چکے ہیں@OfficialDPRPP @rpogujranwala @PunjabPoliceCPO @GovtofPunjabPK @GovtofPakistan— Sialkot Police (@DpoSialkot) September 25, 2023
Meanwhile, the family of Imran Riaz has also confirmed his recovery.
On September 20, the LHC had given the Punjab police chief a “last opportunity” to recover Riaz by September 26 (tomorrow). During the hearing, LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti had stated that his patience was “running out”.
A known YouTuber and television anchor, Imran Riaz Khan was arrested on May 11, – two days after violent protests erupted across the country following ‘whisking away’ of PTI Chairman Imran Khan from Islamabad High Court’s premises on May 9.
He was last known to be taken to Cantt police station after his arrest and later to the Sialkot prison. On May 15, a law officer told the Lahore High Court (LHC) that the anchorperson was released from jail after taking an undertaking in writing.
Separately, his lawyer Ashfaq, said in a post on X, “By God’s special blessing, grace, and mercy, I have brought back my prince.
“It took a lot of time due to the mountain of difficulties, the last limit of understanding of the matter, a weak judiciary, and the current ineffective public constitution and legal helplessness,” he said.
اللہ کے خاص فضل، کرم و رحمت سے اپنے شہزادے کو پھر لے آیا ھوں-
مشکلات کے انبار، معاملہ فہمی کی آخری حد، کمزور عدلیہ و موجودہ غیر مؤثر سر عام آئین و قانونی بے بسی کی وجہ سے بہت زیادہ وقت لگا- 🙏
ناقابل بیان حالات کے باوجود اللہ رب العزت نے یہ بہترین دن دکھایا اس وقت صرف بے پناہ… pic.twitter.com/z96M9pGaPZ
— Mian Ali Ashfaq (@MianAliAshfaq) September 25, 2023
In another post on X in the afternoon, Ashfaq shared a photo with Riaz, the latter’s first since his disappearance.
اسکا مجھ پر ھمیشہ کے لئے حق اور میرے حصے کی ذمہ داریاں ختم نہ ھوں گی-
اسکے ساتھ تھا، ھوں اور رھتی دنیا تک رھوں گا- انشاء اللہ
آپ سب بھی شہزادے کو دیکھ لیں-
اللہ کریم ھے- اللہ رحیم ھے- اللہ بے نیاز ھے-
پاکستان زندہ باد- 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/fRJXdUKJkm
— Mian Ali Ashfaq (@MianAliAshfaq) September 25, 2023
‘Not healthy but he’s back’
Journalist Wajahat S Khan said that he had spoken to Riaz’s family, adding that the anchorperson was “weak and not in the best of health but he’s back”.
Just spoke to @ImranRiazKhan’s family. He’s weak and not in the best of health, but he’s back, MashAllah.
— Wajahat S. Khan (@WajSKhan) September 25, 2023
PTI leader Hammad Azhar said that the entire nation was rejoicing over Riaz’s return.
الحمدللہ۔ عمران ریاض خان کی گھر واپسی پر پوری قوم میں خوشی کی لہر ہے۔ لاکھوں دعاؤں کا نتیجہ۔
— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) September 25, 2023
Lawyer Khadija Siddiqi termed the development a “positive sign”.
“Latest modus operandi of brazenly silencing voices of dissent seems to have failed miserably! Citizens of Pakistan must not be antagonised by our own state!” she said.
The release of @ImranRiazKhan is such a positive sign! Alhumdulilah
Latest modus operandi of brazenly silencing voices of dissent seems to have failed miserably!
Citizens of Pakistan must not be antagonised by our own state!#ImranRiazKhan
— khadija siddiqi (@khadijasid751) September 25, 2023
The PTI, meanwhile, called for the release of all political prisoners under “illegal incarceration”. “Law and sense must prevail,” the party said.
Imran Riaz Khan, a well known Pakistani journalist who was “missing” for almost 5 months now, has finally returned home.
He is one of the many names who are suffering from #EnforcedDisappearancesInPakistan.
These are innocent people who are either members & supporters of… pic.twitter.com/wRNuxoez41— PTI (@PTIofficial) September 25, 2023
PTI leader Asad Qaiser termed his return a “good move” and demanded that other PTI leaders also be produced before courts so they “could decide what their crime was”.
عمران ریاض کی 142 دن بعد رہائی انتہائی احسن اقدام ہے۔ میں عمران ریاض کے اہل خانہ کو ان کی بخیر و عافیت گھر پہنچنے پر مبارک باد پیش کرتا ہوں۔ میں مطالبہ کرتا ہوں کہ عثمان ڈار، صداقت علی عباسی، شیخ رشید اور ظہور مشوانی کو بھی عدالتوں میں پیش کیا جائے اور عدالتوں کو فیصلہ کرنے دیں…
— Asad Qaiser (@AsadQaiserPTI) September 25, 2023
Former senator Advocate Babar Awan said the “ordeal of Imran Riaz, his family, friends and the citizens of Pakistan” had ended.
الحمدللّٰہ
عمران ریاض، اُن کی فیملی، دوستوں اور شہریانِ پاکستان کا کربناک امتحان ختم ہوا۔ اب اظہر مشوانی کے بھائی ظہور مشوانی، شیخ رشید، عثمان ڈار، صداقت عباسی اور دیگر اسیر شہریوں کو فوراً بازیاب کیا جائے۔— Babar Awan (@BabarAwanPK) September 25, 2023
‘Timeline: From Going Missing To Recovery’
A known YouTuber and television anchor, Imran Riaz Khan was arrested on May 11, – two days after violent protests erupted across the country following ‘whisking away’ of PTI Chairman Imran Khan from Islamabad High Court’s premises on May 9.
After the arrest, he was be taken to Cantt police station and later shifted to the Sialkot prison. On May 15, a law officer had told the LHC that the anchorperson was released from jail after taking an undertaking in writing. His whereabouts however remained unknown.
Subsequently, a first information report (FIR) of Riaz’s alleged abduction was registered with Sialkot Civil Lines police 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.
The journalist’s father had also filed a plea in the LHC for his recovery.
During a May 19 hearing of the case, the anchorperson’s father had become teary-eyed in the LHC, pleading for mercy, as the whereabouts of his son remained unknown. The next day, the LHC chief justice had ordered the police to recover and present the anchorperson by May 22.
On that date, the LHC had directed the ministries of interior and defence to “discharge their constitutional duties to effect the recovery” of the anchorperson after IG Anwar revealed that there was no trace of the journalist at any police department across the country.
The LHC was subsequently informed that both the Inter-Services Intelligence and the Military Intelligence had said the anchorperson was not in their custody. On May 26, the high court had directed “all the agencies” to work together to find the anchorperson and produce him in the court by May 30.
When that date arrived, IG Anwar had told the LHC that phone numbers that had been traced back to Afghanistan were involved in the case.
The anchorperson’s lawyer had contended in the June 6 hearing that their patience was “wearing thin” even as the Punjab government had informed the high court that efforts to find the journalist were underway.
During the July 5 hearing, the LHC had established a deadline of July 25 for the police to locate the missing journalist. However, no hearing could be held on the designated date due to the bench’s unavailability.
In that particular hearing, retired Brigadier Falak Naz, representing the Ministry of Defence, had informed the court: “We are working on tracing locations and other issues. We are trying to recover Imran Riaz as soon as possible.”
On September 6, IG Anwar had told LHC that the police would deliver “good news” in the next few days, following which he was granted time till September 13.
However, failing to deliver any major “good news”, the IG on September 13 had assured the court that the probe was “going in the right direction”.
On September 20, the LHC had given the Punjab police chief a “last opportunity” to recover Riaz by September 26, adjourning the proceedings in a petition demanding his recovery till then.
