Imran Riaz Khan offloaded from Dubai-bound flight

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 06 Jan 2023

Anchorperson and journalist Imran Riaz Khan was stopped on Friday at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport from leaving the country.

The FIA immigration officials said that he was off-loaded from the Dubai-bound flight early Friday morning.

Imran Riaz Khan’s name was on no-fly list. The FIA had added it at the request of the Punjab Police.

Police were informed about Imran Riaz’s attempt to leave the country, it said.

Following this, the anchorperson returned home from the airport.

Imran Riaz Khan case

Imran Riaz Khan was arrested near Islamabad Interchange late on July 6,

According to SAMAA TV, he was arrested by Attock Police and was shifted to the jurisdiction police station.

At least 17 first information reports (FIRs) were lodged against Imran Riaz Khan recently, who has been a vocal critic of the incumbent government and the so-called ‘regime change conspiracy’ executed through a no-confidence motion, resulting in the ouster of Imran Khan as the prime minister.

Punjab Law Minister Malik Ahmed Khan said that Imran Riaz Khan had been arrested from the jurisdiction of Punjab since he was nominated in several FIRs which have been registered against him in the province.

He said that the impression that the journalist was held from within Islamabad’s jurisdiction was wrong.

He added that the suspect was apprehended from Attock district in the Rawalpindi division.

However, a video of Imran Riaz Khan’s arrest, recorded by his companion and fellow journalist, showed that the anchorperson was in a car and they had entered the toll plaza at the edge of Islamabad but had not yet crossed over, when he was asked to exit the vehicle by around a dozen police officers and was then escorted away.

Imran Riaz Khan’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaque later told media that the video and statements from witnesses suggested that the anchorperson was still within Islamabad when he was led away by police.

After two days, he had released from the police custody.