Punjab Inspector General Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar on Wednesday informed the Lahore High Court (LHC) that anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan’s investigation was going in a ‘good direction’ in the journalist’s recovery case.
Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti resumed the hearing of the plea filed by Khan’s father seeking his son’s recovery, whose whereabouts remain undisclosed since his arrest on May 11 from the Sialkot Airport.
At the outset of the hearing, CJ Bhatti asked the Punjab IGP about the progress of the missing anchorperson’s case. To this, Dr Anwar told the court that on the direction of the LHC, he had met with the petitioner and had updated him and his counsel about the developments in this case.
IGP Dr Anwar said that the probe was going in the right direction. However, the petitioner’s counsel Ali Mian Ashfaq told the court that a development may occur at any time in this case.
Subsequently, the high court judge adjourned the proceeding by September 20.
It is pertinent to note that in the last hearing, CJ Bhatti gave the Punjab IGP till September 13 to recover missing anchorperson Imran Riaz, granting yet another extension.
The Punjab IGP had informed the court that favourable progress had been made toward the missing anchorperson’s recovery. Stating that “good news” would be delivered within 10 to 15 days, and had sought further extension in time to produce Khan.
The court had earlier given the authorities till July 25 to produce the missing anchorperson but no hearing was held on the designated date reportedly due to the bench’s availability.
This was an extension from earlier deadlines of May 22 and May 30. The court had directed all law enforcement and intelligence agencies to work together to ensure his recovery. The anchorperson, a staunch and vocal supporter of ousted PM and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his policies, was arrested on May 11 reportedly by the police, in the aftermath of May 9 riots.
