In a remarkable turn of events, Imran Riaz Khan, a prominent anchorperson who had been missing for close to five months, has been successfully located and reunited with his family, announced District Police Officer Sialkot, Hassan Iqbal, in a statement released on Monday.
Khan’s ordeal began on May 11 when he was apprehended at Sialkot Airport under the 3MPO after widespread protests erupted across the nation, triggered by the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court on May 9.
After his arrest, Khan was briefly held in a district jail, and on May 15, the Lahore High Court was informed that he had been released after providing a written undertaking.
Despite numerous efforts, Khan’s whereabouts remained unknown for an extended period, prompting his father, Muhammad Riaz, to file a First Information Report (FIR) on May 16, alleging the abduction of his son by unidentified individuals. The FIR invoked Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code, relating to kidnapping or abducting with the intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person.
Desperate to secure his son’s return, Khan’s father sought the intervention of the Lahore High Court on May 19, tearfully pleading for mercy as the crackdown on the protesting crowd intensified. In response, the Chief Justice of the high court ordered the police to locate and present Khan before the court by May 22.
Subsequently, the Lahore High Court instructed the Ministries of Interior and Defence to fulfill their constitutional responsibilities in facilitating Khan’s recovery, as Punjab Inspector General Anwar confirmed that there was no information regarding the journalist’s whereabouts within any police department in the country.
Intriguingly, both the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) denied any involvement or custody of Imran Riaz Khan when questioned by the court.
The court’s patience wore thin as Khan remained missing, prompting a directive on May 26 for all agencies to collaborate in locating and producing Khan in court by May 30. It was revealed that phone numbers connected to Afghanistan had some relevance to the case.
Despite assurances from the Punjab administration that efforts were underway, Khan’s lawyer expressed growing frustration during the June 6 hearing. The Lahore High Court set a deadline of July 25 for the police to trace the missing journalist but was unable to convene on that date due to the unavailability of the bench.
During the proceedings, retired Brigadier Falak Naz, representing the Ministry of Defence, reiterated their commitment to locating Khan and bringing him home as soon as possible.
On September 6, Punjab Inspector General Usman Anwar informed the Lahore High Court that the police would have “good news” in the coming days, leading to an extension until September 13.
Regrettably, no significant developments were reported by September 13, but the IG assured the court that the investigation was “progressing in the right direction.”
Finally, on September 20, the Lahore High Court granted the Punjab IG a “final opportunity” to recover Imran Riaz Khan by September 26, adjourning the proceedings in the petition demanding his return until that date.
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