LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti on Wednesday told Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Anwar that he had started losing his patience with the failure of the police to recover alleged missing anchorperson Imran Riaz.

“Five months have passed and you have now begun to try my patience,” the chief justice said to the IGP during the hearing of a petition seeking recovery of the alleged missing media person.

Petitioner Muhammad Riaz, the father of the anchorperson, was also present in the courtroom along with his counsel, Mian Ali Ashfaq.

At the outset, Chief Justice Bhatti asked IGP Anwar about the whereabouts of the missing journalist.

The police chief said a joint working group held its meeting on the issue and would meet again on Friday (tomorrow) as the provincial intelligence chief was out of the city.

He sought another week’s time as the chief justice observed the court should start its proceedings in the matter.

The petitioner’s counsel said he would have no objection if the court gave the police 24 hours for the recovery of Imran Riaz.

“We have also lost our patience,” he added.

The chief justice granted one ‘last opportunity’ to the IGP to recover the missing anchorperson and adjourned the hearing till Sept 26.

Police had arrested Riaz on May 11, 2023, from Sialkot airport and shifted him to jail.

The police claimed the whereabouts of the anchorperson were unknown since his release from the jail following the withdrawal of his detention order by the government.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023