Islamabad [Pakistan], March 10 (ANI): Pakistan’s anti-terrorism court granted bail to Pakistani journalist Imran Riaz on Saturday, who was arrested in the Zaman Park attack case.
Journalist Riaz was arrested in March last year in connection with the Zaman Park case on charges of vandalism and assaulting police officials during a clash at the Lahore residence of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan.
Additionally, hearing the bail plea, the court judge, Arshad Javed, ordered Riaz to submit a sum of PKR 2 lakh against the bail.
Taking the X, M Azhar Siddique, the legal heir of Riaz said, “Journalist Imran Riaz Khan granted bail in the Zaman Park police torture case. The court’s direction to Imran Riaz to submit two lakhs. The court adjourned the hearing, giving the prosecution a last chance to present its records. On the order of the court, the prosecution presented the case to Karikard court.”
“Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Arshad Javed conducted the hearing. The accused’s lawyer, Azhar Siddique Advocate, presented the arguments. The prosecution wants to keep the journalist in jail for as long as possible. Position Accused Imran Riaz Khan is a journalist, he is innocent, he should be released on bail,” he added.
https://twitter.com/AzharSiddique/status/1766330217193169113
In a video message, Siddique said, “Thankfully the Imran Riaz was finally granted bail in a baseless and pointless case. Everything that proved him innocent is on record, and we also had submitted the related evidences in the court. However, during the investigation, he was put on remand, and a baseless case was designed against him. And when the court ordered the prosecutor and the investigating officer to present evidence, everyone refused to speak.”
He further added that “the bail process was delayed, by saying that, the records were not submitted to the court. Finally, when the records reached the court, they said that he had three cases registered against him, one of these cases was anti-corruption, which was baseless. After the appointment of Maryam Safdar as CM of Pakistani Punjab, this is the seventh cycle of investigation and cases are being registered against him.”
Siddique also stated, “Every one of these cases against him is baseless and pointless. Even the case in which he was arrested this time is baseless. Actually, there were several cases against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and the police wanted to get warrants issued for them. Riaz was present on the site to cover the news he was reporting on at the time. Based on just these incidents, he was given a remand of six days. The entire case was just falsely created, and when the court asked about the accusations, there was nothing to say.”
Attacking the Pakistan government, Siddique added that we have no hope left from the government and there may be future attempts to arrest Imran Riaz again, under a case registered by the Federal Investigation Agency or any other institution. But we must remember that all these cases are and will be baseless.
According to a report on the arrest of Imran Riaz published previously, by Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) “On March 1, the journalist–whose current affairs YouTube channel Imran Riaz Khan has some 4.6 million subscribers–was freed on bail in a corruption case and re-arrested hours later, on separate terrorism charges, outside a court in the eastern city of Lahore, according to multiple media reports and Azhar Siddique, one of Khan’s lawyers.
An anti-terrorism court ordered that Khan be held for five days in police custody, until March 6, pending investigation, according to a court order, reviewed by CPJ.
The police then transferred Khan to an unknown location outside Lahore, according to Siddique and a journalist familiar with the case who spoke to CPJ on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal. (ANI)
