Imran Riaz Khan, a Pakistani journalist and television personality, was taken into custody in Lahore for making allegedly provocative remarks. The arrest follows the detention of PTI ally Sheikh Rashid Ahmed by the Islamabad Police.
As reported by sources, Riaz was apprehended by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) at the Allama Iqbal International Airport shortly before boarding a flight to Dubai. In order to obtain his temporary custody, the FIA intends to bring the journalist before a court in Lahore.
According to the PTI, the arrest is a clear indication of the absence of human rights and rule of law in the country, labeling it a “fascist state.” According to Umar, the arrest of Riaz and Ahmed is unjust, while terrorists remain free.
شیخ رشید گرفتار. عمران ریاض گرفتار. سیاست دان قید. صحافی قید. دہشت گرد آزاد پھر رہے ہیں
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) February 2, 2023
As far as Riaz is concerned, this is not the first time he has been prevented from leaving the country. As a result of several sedition cases registered against him, he was prevented from boarding a flight to Dubai last July. Attock was the scene of his arrest earlier in the same month in one of 17 treason cases filed against him.
The arrest of Imran Riaz Khan has caused an uproar in Pakistan, with the PTI condemning the move and calling for human rights and the rule of law to be respected.
