ISLAMABAD: Police on Tuesday arrested senior anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan from Islamabad Toll Plaza, in violation of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) order.

It is pertinent here to mention that IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had directed the Islamabad deputy commissioner and IG police not to harass senior journalists including Imran Khan, Bol news anchorperson Sami Ibrahim, Jameel Farooqui and Sabir Shakir. The high court had reportedly barred police from arresting them without taking prior permission from the court.

Condemning the arrest, Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf leader Asad Umar said the arrest of Imran Riaz Khan was reprehensible. “Opinions are answered with arguments, not arrests,” he said.

عمران ریاض خان کی گرفتاری قابلِ مذمت ہے. رائے کے اظہار کا جواب دلیل سے دیا جاتا ہے گرفتاری سے نہیں.

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— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) July 5, 2022

Another PTI leader and former special assistant to prime minister Dr Shahbaz Gill said, “This is the price of standing on the right path. May Allah be your supporter and helper.”

آخر کار عمران ریاض کو گرفتار کر لیا گیا۔ راہ حق پر کھڑے ہونے کی یہ قیمت ہے۔ اللہ آپکا حامی و ناصر ہو۔

— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) July 5, 2022

Lawyer of Imran Riaz, Ali Ashfaq said he was present at the IHC to seek legal action against his client’s arrest. He said at the time of his arrest, the journalist was on phone call with him.

Read more: Justice Athar Minallah restrains FIA from taking action against journalists

On May 26, the IHC had restrained the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from taking action against journalists and directed it to focus on its real work.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had taken up the plea regarding the cases against the journalists.

During the hearing, Justice Minallah had remarked that the judiciary and the armed forces cannot be intimidated by a journalist’s question. “Let the FIA do its real work,” he had said.

He had further remarked that the armed forces had made sacrifices for the country. The army would also be honoured when it fulfilled its constitutional responsibilities, he had maintained.

The IHC chief justice had wondered that how the FIA had issued a notice to Sami Ibrahim. The army was not so weak that such statements could risk its integration, he had said.

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