LHC gives IGP Punjab till Monday to produce Imran Riaz

The Lahore High Court (LHC) gave an ultimatum to the Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar on Saturday to produce 'missing' anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan by Monday.

The matter was heard by LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti who remarked that it was time for the proceeding to come to its “logical end”.

During the proceedings, the IGP and the superintendent of Sialkot jail appeared to hold each other responsible for the lack of security outside the prison. When the court ordered to play the video clip, CJ Bhatti noted that as the anchorperson came out of the jail there was no security present outside.

The jail superintendent maintained that the area outside the Sialkot jail came under the Punjab police's jurisdiction, whereas his team was responsible for the inside. However, when IGP Anwar was questioned, he asked if the jail authority could produce any letter proving that security was requested from the Punjab police. The IGP argued that police officials are normally deployed at the request of jail authorities.

On a query about the police’s progress, the IGP updated the court on what the police had done and wanted to do next. The IGP’s arguments were similar to those he gave during proceedings held on May 19 - a day earlier.

Read IGP grilled over failure to locate anchor-person

On May 19, the IGP argued that the police had initiated the process of geo-fencing, collected data from telecom companies, gathered CCTV footage, contacted NADRA for the identification process, and got other agencies – such as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) – on board. He assured the court that the police would make all efforts to trace the anchorperson.

During the proceeding, Imran Riaz Khan’s counsel, advocate Azhar Siddique, told the court that he had evidence regarding the first police raid conducted at the anchorperson’s house. He asked the IGP why Riaz’s house was raided when according to the police there was no FIR against him.

Advocate Azhar Siddique told the court that all exercises of the police proved malafide on their part.

CJ Bhatti finally directed IG Punjab to come up with a comprehensive response and produce Imran Riaz by Monday.

Earlier, IGP Anwar failed to satisfy the LHC CJ as he struggled to respond to a barrage of questions regarding "missing" anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan.

At times, the IGP appeared clueless about how to answer the chief justice's questions.

During court proceedings, the IGP Punjab was repeatedly asked why the police system had failed to locate the anchorperson. In response, he dismissed the notion that the anchorperson had been kidnapped. Instead, he suggested, the anchorperson may have deliberately hidden himself, making it difficult for the police to trace him.