Punjab police still clueless about Imran Riaz's whereabouts

Law enforcement agencies and Punjab Inspector General Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar failed to produce missing journalist Imran Riaz Khan before the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday.

LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti adjourned the proceedings till next week and directed Khan’s father to express his concerns before the working committee.

During today’s proceedings, IGP Anwar informed the court that all efforts were being made in collaboration with law enforcement agencies on the case. He further said that the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) was contacted for identifying those who took Khan away.

Previous proceedings

The search for the missing journalist took a perplexing turn as key government officials failed to locate him, further prolonging the court proceedings.

Secretaries of defence and interior, along with Dr Usman Anwar, informed the LHC that the cell phones used in the case belonged to Afghanistan, and their capacity to trace them was limited.

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The journalist, who is a staunch and vocal supporter of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its policies, was arrested by the police on May 11 from Sialkot Airport.

The anchor was reportedly arrested for allegedly inciting violence during clashes between security forces and PTI supporters.

During earlier court proceedings, LHC chief justice directly addressed the secretaries and the IGP, seeking an update on the missing journalist.

Dr Usman Anwar, taking the rostrum, revealed that despite conducting geo-fencing operations, they were unable to locate any relevant numbers. Following the court's direction, the authorities met with Imran Riaz Khan's family members, legal team, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), but they discovered that the numbers associated with the case were from Afghanistan.

The IGP informed the court that their current capabilities did not extend to tracing numbers in Afghanistan.