ISLAMABAD: Media Person Imran Riaz Khan was nabbed from near here on Tuesday (5th of July, 2022) in connection with a case that was registered against him in Attock.
He was going to Islamabad High Court (IHC) to get pre-arrest bail when he was arrested. Incidentally, he has been named in seventeen treason cases all over Punjab.
Since Imran Riaz Khan was taken into custody by Attock Police, IHC disposed of a petition filed by him against his arrest, advising him to go to LHC as the case did not fall within IHC jurisdiction.
PFUJ stated: “The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the Pakistan Government for the arrest of Imran Riaz Khan who was arrested by the Punjab Police late on Tuesday (5th of July, 2022).
“Anchorperson Imran Riaz Kamran has been a great critic of the current regime and termed the current government as unconstitutional.
“More than a dozen cases has been registered against Imran Riaz Khan in different cities of the country while Islamabad High Court has given him protect bail and advised the law enforcement agencies to avoid arrest of Imran Riaz Khan with out prior permission from the Court.
“The PFUJ President GM Jamali and Secretary General Rana Muhamad Azeem has warned the government to abstain from arresting journalists. They held the arrest of Imran Riaz Khan a sheer violation of the basic rights conferred by the Constitution of Pakistan and confiscation of freedom of speech & Expression of the citizens of Pakistan.
“No one could gag the media with such actions. Journalists will continue to speak truth and bring facts before the people of Pakistan. we demand early release of Imran Riaz Khan otherwise the PFUJ will give a countrywide protest call,” the PFUJ leadership remarked.
IFJ maintained: “Pakistani authorities registered four cases against TV anchor and vlogger Imran Riaz Khan for allegedly publishing material critical of state institutions before his arrest on July 5.
“The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Pakistan affiliate, the The cases against Khan were filed with police in numerous areas of Punjab, all with similar charges.
“Several residents submitted applications to register the First Information Reports (FIRs), alleging that the journalist was inciting anti-national sentiments by disparaging the Pakistan Army and state institutions.
“On June 30, three indictments were filed against the TV anchor, one in Gojra and two in Jhang, on the complaints of three separate persons. According to the FIRs, the anchor’s actions violated Pakistan’s constitution as they ‘wounded’ Pakistani people’s feelings and went against state institutions.
“The cases were filed under sections 505-1 (C), 505-2, 501, and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), as well as various sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act, 2016.
“Chowk Sarwar Shaheed police in Muzaffargarh also filed a separate charge against Khan under the Anti-Electronic Crime Act and other laws. Complainant Advocate Riazul Haq, the brother of Maj Zakaul Haq Shaheed, alleged that Khan has harmed the army’s reputation.
“Khan has since been arrested on July 5 for an FIR filed at Attock police station.
“According to the IFJ’s South Asia Press Freedom Report 2021-2022, “two-thirds of the complainants invoking the PECA law against journalists are private citizens, with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials the second highest initiator of complaints.”
“Opinions or criticism of the military and the intelligence agencies is the most frequent complaint against journalists,” said the report.
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