Journalist Imran Riaz Khan still missing in Pakistan

World
By William

Islamabad, Pakistan – Almost two weeks ago, a short video appeared on social media showing Pakistani journalist and political commentator Imran Riaz Khan being escorted from Sialkot International Airport by a group of police officers.

The controversial 47-year-old commentator, who has more than three million followers on YouTube, has not been seen in public since and neither his family nor the police seem to know where he is.

His 32-year-old brother, Usman Riaz Khan, said that on the day the video was filmed, May 11, Imran Riaz Khan flew to Oman, having decided to flee Pakistan when his home in Lahore was raided by the authorities the day before. Police. .

“My brother was able to distill political issues into his 16-minute videos, and he always told the truth, that’s why he got busted,” the younger brother told Al Jazeera on Tuesday.

From Lahore, Usman Riaz Khan said the family was told by Punjab police sources that his brother was taken to the police station after he was arrested at Sialkot airport.

“When we inquired, the police said we had only released him that night. The police also claimed that he left with a group of unknown people and they don’t know anything about him anymore,” Usman said, adding that his brother has no lawsuits against him.

However, his father claimed in an official complaint filed with the police that CCTV footage from the police station showed his son being “kidnapped” by “four to five masked men” after his release.

Azhar Siddique, a lawyer for the family, criticized the arrest of Imran Riaz Khan and said there are no charges against him anywhere in the country.

“Despite having no reason to detain him, the authorities are finding excuses to somehow delay and delay the trial,” the lawyer told Al Jazeera on Tuesday, adding that the family would appeal. to go.

Usman Riaz Khan said that during a court hearing on May 22, 11 days after his elder brother was arrested at the airport, police repeatedly claimed that Imran Riaz Khan was not in custody.

“The [Inspector General] told the court that he needs three more days to find my brother, and now the next hearing is on Thursday. My family is completely traumatized. My father is diabetic and can’t even talk about this,” he said.

“Apart from the eldest daughter, we have not even told the rest of the three children where their father is and why he is not at home,” added Usman Riaz Khan.

Government response

Inspector General of Punjab Police, Usman Anwar, said on Tuesday that Imran Riaz Khan was not in police custody and declined to comment further as the case was ongoing at the court.

“He’s not with us. The problem is under right [before a judge]. In any case, he is not necessary,” he responded by telephone to Al Jazeera.

Interim Information Minister for Punjab, Amir Mir, also denied that Imran Riaz Khan was in police custody.

“The Punjab police chief has responded in court. The case is being heard there, but we have no information about Imran Riaz Khan and he is not with us.”

Home Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said in a TV interview on Monday that if it is proven that Imran Riaz Khan has been kidnapped, the government will go after the perpetrators.

“We’ve asked intelligence and investigative agencies, and they’ve said he’s not with them,” he said.

Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said she condemned any illegal action against individuals while questioning Imran Riaz Khan’s journalistic credentials.

“Imran Riaz Khan is a spokesman for a political party. You have to distinguish between a journalist and those who join a political party and incite violence. Don’t mix them with the journalists who report,” the minister told Channel 4 News in the UK.

The Khan Controversy

The YouTuber and commentator has a controversial reputation. Through his videos and statements, Imran Riaz Khan is seen to be closely associated with former Prime Minister Imran Khan (no relation) and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The video of Imran Riaz Khan being escorted from the airport was filmed two days after the former prime minister was arrested on corruption charges.

Widespread violent protests erupted across the country following the arrest of the ex-prime minister, prompting the government to approve the establishment of military tribunals to try protesters involved in attacking military installations under a draconian army law and official secrets law. During the protests, at least 10 people died and more than 4,000 were arrested on charges of vandalism and rioting.

Before the former prime minister was removed from office in April 2022, Imran Riaz Khan was a staunch supporter of the military and its actions against journalists, but his pro-military stance reversed soon after.

Imran Riaz Khan was arrested twice by authorities in July 2022 and February 2023 on charges of sedition. He was released in less than a week in both cases, and the charges were subsequently dropped.

press freedom

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the global media freedom body, condemned the “kidnapping” of Imran Riaz Khan and said it believes Pakistani spy agencies are involved.

“There is no point in turning a blind eye to the euphemism ‘agencies’. It was clear that Pakistani military intelligence has kidnapped Imran Riaz Khan,” Daniel Bastard, the head of Asia-Pacific at RSF, said in a statement released Tuesday.

“It is up to the civilian government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure that the rule of law is respected by bringing the journalist to court or ordering his release. Failing this, the Pakistani authorities will be held directly responsible for any harm that has befallen him.”

A journalist union activist and reporter, Matiullah Jan, denounced the government’s inaction in getting Khan back. Jan, who was also arrested for one day in 2020, mentioned Information Minister Aurangzeb’s response and addressed Imran Riaz Khan’s criticism.

“You are criticizing a person who has been missing for almost two weeks. You are criticizing someone who is at least in front of you or has the power to respond back. You are a minister and you insult someone who has disappeared just because you think he is a party worker? Is it justified to make a party employee disappear?” Jan asked Al Jazeera.

Analyst and journalist Absar Alam, who survived an assassination attempt in 2021, said illegal and unconstitutional acts cannot be tolerated.

“If he has committed a crime, bring him to court. He may have defended similar disappearances in the past and mocked suffering victims of other media personnel who have been targeted in the past. But anyone who was forced to disappear was wrong then and is just as wrong now,” he told Al Jazeera.

Another senior journalist, Murtaza Solangi, told Al Jazeera that it is the responsibility of the state to find out who is responsible for Imran Riaz Khan’s disappearance, regardless of the reason for his disappearance.

“I don’t know if he was taken or disappeared himself. It’s the state’s job to find out. The responsibility stops with them. Every citizen of this country, even if he or she is a criminal, should be taken to court and given a fair trial as their right,” Solangi said.

Pakistan has a checkered record when it comes to media freedom and the safety of journalists.

Media workers have long been targeted by state authorities for their work, and many have been attacked or removed from their jobs.

The country was ranked 150 in the World Press Freedom Index 2023 published by RSF, an improvement of seven places from the previous year.

Another journalist and broadcaster, Arshad Sharif, was forced to flee Pakistan in August last year after being threatened with his life, and was later killed in Kenya in October.

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