LAHORE: LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti on Friday ordered police to release anchorperson Aftab Iqbal and summoned the video record of anchorperson Imran Riaz leaving Sialkot jail.

Earlier, IGP Usman Anwar produced Iqbal before the court and the Sialkot DPO said Riaz had been released from jail after the withdrawal of his detention order.

The CJ had ordered the police to produce both detained media people.

The DPO told the court that Riaz was arrested at the airport while trying to fly abroad and shifted to jail as the district government issued his detention order.

However, he said, the government later withdrew the detention order after the anchorperson submitted an affidavit. He said the anchorperson was released from jail.

The CJ expressed displeasure over the statement of the DPO and warned him of strict action in case of any misleading information.

Riaz’s mother stated that the whereabouts of her son were still unknown to the family.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2023