Islamabad, Pakistan – Almost two weeks in the past, a brief video emerged on social media exhibiting Pakistani journalist and political commentator Imran Riaz Khan being escorted out of Sialkot Worldwide Airport by a gaggle of law enforcement officials.
The controversial 47-year-old commentator, with greater than three million followers on YouTube, hasn’t been seen publicly since and neither his household nor police seem to know the place he’s.
His 32-year-old brother, Usman Riaz Khan, stated that on the day the video was filmed, Could 11, Imran Riaz Khan was flying to Oman, after deciding to flee Pakistan when his home in Lahore was raided by police the day earlier than.
“My brother was in a position to distill political affairs in his 16-minute-long movies, and he all the time informed the reality, that’s the reason he was picked up,” the youthful brother informed Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
Talking from Lahore, Usman Riaz Khan stated that the household was informed by sources with the Punjab police that his brother had been taken to the police station after being arrested at Sialkot airport.
“Once we inquired, the police stated we launched him that night time solely. Police additionally claimed that he went away with a gaggle of unknown individuals, and so they don’t know something about him anymore,” Usman stated, including that his brother doesn’t have any authorized instances towards him.
Nevertheless, his father claimed in an official criticism filed with police that CCTV footage from the police station confirmed his son being “kidnapped” by “4 to 5 masked males” after being launched.
In Pakistan, a outstanding pro-Imran Khan commentator has “disappeared.” Imran Riaz Khan was detained by the police final week, however they are saying they do not have him in custody any extra 🤨
I spoke to Data Minister @Marriyum_A about his case & press freedom beneath the present govt: pic.twitter.com/KhN4MId2wR
— Secunder Kermani (@SecKermani) May 22, 2023
Azhar Siddique, a lawyer for the household, criticised Imran Riaz Khan’s arrest, saying that there are not any present expenses towards him anyplace within the nation.
“Regardless of having no grounds to maintain him, the authorities are discovering excuses to one way or the other decelerate the method and delay it,” the lawyer informed Al Jazeera on Tuesday, including that the household would file an enchantment.
Usman Riaz Khan stated that in a court docket listening to on Could 22, 11 days after his older brother was arrested on the airport, the police repeatedly claimed that Imran Riaz Khan was not of their custody.
“The [Inspector General] informed the court docket that he wants three extra days to search for my brother, and now the subsequent listening to is on Thursday. My household is totally traumatised. My father is a affected person of diabetes and can’t even discuss this,” he stated.
“Other than the eldest daughter, we have now not even informed the remainder of three kids the place their father is and why is he not dwelling,” Usman Riaz Khan added.
Authorities response
Inspector Common of the Punjab Police Usman Anwar stated on Tuesday that Imran Riaz Khan was not in police custody, declining to remark additional because the case was ongoing with the court docket.
“He isn’t with us. The matter is sub judice [before a judge]. He isn’t required in any case,” he responded to Al Jazeera through cellphone message.
Interim Data Minister for Punjab Amir Mir additionally denied that Imran Riaz Khan was in police custody.
“The Punjab police chief has given the response within the court docket. The matter is being heard there however we don’t have any details about Imran Riaz Khan and he’s not with us.”
In a TV interview on Monday, Inside Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan stated that whether it is confirmed that Imran Riaz Khan was kidnapped, the federal government will go after the perpetrators.
“Now we have requested intelligence and investigation companies, and so they have stated he’s not with them,” he stated.
Federal Minister for Data Marriyum Aurangzeb stated she condemned any unlawful motion taken towards people, whereas on the similar time questioning Imran Riaz Khan’s journalistic credentials.
“Imran Riaz Khan is a political social gathering spokesperson. It’s essential to draw distinction between a journalist and people who be a part of a political social gathering and incite violence. Don’t combine them with these journalists who report,” the minister informed the UK’s Channel 4 Information.
The Khan controversy
The YouTuber and commentator has a controversial popularity. By his movies and statements, Imran Riaz Khan is seen to be intently aligned with former Prime Minister Imran Khan (no relation) and his political social gathering, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The video of Imran Riaz Khan being escorted from the airport was filmed two days after the previous PM was arrested on corruption expenses.
Following the ex-premier’s arrest, widespread violent protests erupted throughout the nation, main the federal government to approve the institution of navy courts to strive protesters concerned in attacking navy installations beneath a draconian military act and official secrets and techniques act. Throughout the protests, a minimum of 10 individuals died and greater than 4,000 had been arrested on expenses of vandalism and rioting.
Previous to the previous PM’s removing from workplace in April 2022, Imran Riaz Khan was an ardent supporter of the navy and its actions towards journalists, however his pro-military stance reversed quickly after.
Imran Riaz Khan was twice arrested by the authorities in July 2022 and February 2023 on accusations of sedition. He was launched in each instances in lower than per week, and the costs had been subsequently dropped.
Press freedom
Reporters With out Borders (RSF), the worldwide physique for media freedom, condemned the “abduction” of Imran Riaz Khan, and stated it believes Pakistan’s spy companies are concerned.
“There isn’t any level closing one’s eyes to the ‘companies’ euphemism. It was clearly Pakistan’s navy intelligence companies that kidnapped Imran Riaz Khan,” Daniel Bastard, the top of Asia-Pacific at RSF, stated in an announcement issued on Tuesday.
“It’s as much as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s civilian authorities to make sure respect for the rule of legislation by producing the journalist in court docket or ordering his launch. Failing this, the Pakistani authorities will likely be held instantly chargeable for any hurt which will have befallen him.”
A journalists’ union activist and reporter, Matiullah Jan, slammed the federal government’s inaction to recuperate Khan. Singling out the response by Data Minister Aurangzeb, Jan, who was additionally arrested for in the future in 2020, took subject with the criticism of Imran Riaz Khan.
“You’re criticising an individual who has been lacking for nearly two weeks. You criticise someone who’s a minimum of in entrance of you or has the ability to reply again. You’re a minister, and insulting someone who’s disappeared simply since you assume he is a celebration employee? Is disappearing a celebration employee justified?” Jan requested Al Jazeera.
Analyst and journalist Absar Alam, who survived an assassination try in 2021, stated that unlawful and unconstitutional acts can’t be tolerated.
“If he has dedicated any crime, produce him earlier than the court docket. He might have had a historical past of defending comparable disappearances, mocking struggling victims of different media personnel focused up to now. Nevertheless, anyone who’s forcibly disappeared, it was flawed again then, and it’s simply as flawed now,” he informed Al Jazeera.
One other senior journalist, Murtaza Solangi, informed Al Jazeera it’s the state’s accountability to search out who’s chargeable for Imran Riaz Khan’s disappearance no matter why he disappeared.
“I don’t know if he was taken away or disappeared himself. It’s the state’s job to search out out. The buck stops with them. Any citizen of this nation, even when she or he is a felony, they need to be taken to court docket and given due course of as their proper,” Solangi stated.
Pakistan has a chequered report in terms of media freedom and the protection of journalists.
Media personnel have lengthy been focused by state authorities for his or her work, and lots of have been attacked, or had been pushed out of their jobs.
The nation was ranked 150 within the 2023 World Press Freedom Index revealed by RSF, an enchancment of seven locations in rank from the yr earlier than.
One other journalist and anchorperson, Arshad Sharif, needed to flee Pakistan final yr in August after threats to his life, and was later killed in Kenya in October.
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