[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]LAHORE: On Saturday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) issued an order to Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar to produce’missing’ anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan by Monday.
The matter was heard by LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti, who stated that the proceeding had reached its “logical conclusion.”
During the proceedings, the IGP and the Sialkot jail superintendent appeared to blame each other for the lack of security outside the prison. When the court ordered the video clip to be played, CJ Bhatti noted that there was no security outside the jail as the anchorperson exited.
The jail superintendent insisted that the area outside the Sialkot jail was under the jurisdiction of the Punjab police, while his team was in charge of the inside. When IGP Anwar was questioned, he asked if the jail administration could produce any documentation proving that security was requested from the Punjab police. According to the IGP, police officers are typically deployed at the request of jail authorities.
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In response to a question about the police’s progress, the IGP updated the court on what the police had done and what they planned to do next. The IGP’s arguments were similar to those he made a day earlier during proceedings on May 19.
On May 19, the IGP claimed that the police had initiated the geo-fencing process, gathered data from telecom companies, gathered CCTV footage, contacted NADRA for the identification process, and enlisted the help of other agencies, including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and Intelligence Bureau (IB). He assured the court that the police would do everything possible to find the anchorperson.
During the hearing, Imran Riaz Khan’s lawyer, Azhar Siddique, informed the court that he had evidence regarding the first police raid on the anchorperson’s home. He questioned the IGP about why Riaz’s house was raided when the police said there was no FIR against him.
Advocate Azhar Siddique told the court that all of the police’s actions demonstrated malice on their part.
CJ Bhatti eventually directed the IG Punjab to prepare a comprehensive response and produce Imran Riaz by Monday.
Earlier, IGP Anwar failed to satisfy the LHC CJ as he struggled to answer a slew of questions about “missing” anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan.
At times, the IGP appeared unsure how to respond to the chief justice’s questions.
During the trial, the IGP Punjab was repeatedly questioned about why the police system had failed to locate the anchorperson. In response, he denied that the anchorperson had been kidnapped. Instead, he speculated that the anchorperson may have purposefully hidden himself, making it difficult for police to find him.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
