Senior journalist and anchorperson Imran Riaz on Friday hit back at PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz over her statement in which she said that the former should not be called a journalist.
She said, “If he [Imran Riaz] were a journalist, I would have stood by him, even if he was my opponent.”
ایک صحافی پکڑا گیا اس کو صحافی نہیں کہنا چاہیے اگر وہ صحافی ہوتا تو میں اس کے ساتھ کھڑی ہوتی، چاہے وہ میرا مخالف ہوتا- مریم نواز کا ملتان میں جلسے سے خطاب#MaryamNawaz #ImranRiazKhan pic.twitter.com/Nab0qMcUbs
— Siasat.pk (@siasatpk) July 15, 2022
In response, Imran Riaz tweeted, “If they [the Sharif family] did not steal and commit fraud, I would have stood by them.”
چوروں کے خاندان کو سزا ہوئی۔ رنگے ہاتھوں پکڑے گئے۔ پوری دنیا میں بے عزت کروایا۔ اگر چوری اور فراڈ نہ کرتے تو میں ساتھ کھڑا ہوتا۔ pic.twitter.com/Vbei6YpoPE
— Imran Khan (@ImranRiazKhan) July 15, 2022
He said the “family of thieves” was caught red-handed, punished, and disrespected all over the world.
In another tweet, he mocked Maryam Nawaz saying, “Good journalists are found only in Qatar, who write news in Calibri font.”
اچھے صحافی تو صرف قطر میں ہوتے ہیں۔ جو کیلبری فونٹ میں خبریں لکھتے ہیں۔ 😂🤣😂🤣
— Imran Khan (@ImranRiazKhan) July 15, 2022
Riaz, a vocal critic of the ruling coalition and establishment, was arrested from Islamabad Toll Plaza last Tuesday, even though a court had already granted him pre-arrest bail.
Reportedly, over a dozen FIRs were registered against him on charges as serious as abetment of mutiny and criticism of the state institutions, which he says were motivated by his refusal to “stop speaking the truth.”
On June 9, the Lahore High Court (LHC) granted Imran Riaz bail.
Read more: Imran Riaz was kept in a cage: PTI Chairman Imran Khan
Riaz was offloaded from a flight from Lahore to Dubai on Friday. At the police’s request, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) added the journalist’s name to the black list.
In a Tweet, he accused the Lahore police of adding harmful substances to his food during his arrest.
“According to my doctors, during my arrest, I was given something to eat that could be dangerous. I had to take some tests to prove what has been tried,” he said, clarifying his reason for boarding a flight to Dubai.
میرے ڈاکٹرز کے مطابق دوران گرفتاری مجھے کچھ ایسا کھانے کے لیے دیا گیا جو خطرناک ثابت ہو سکتا ہے۔ مجھے کچھ ٹیسٹ کروانے تھے۔ تاکہ ثابت کر سکوں کہ کیا کوشش کی گئی ہے۔ایئر پورٹ پر روک لیا گیا ہے۔ مکمل تفصیل کچھ دیر میں۔۔۔ https://t.co/Qmj9XkkJZI
— Imran Khan (@ImranRiazKhan) July 14, 2022
However, Riaz stated that he had been stopped at the airport.
Former prime minister Imran Khan tweeted a video of him, adding that “Imran Riaz was kept in a cage, where civilised countries would not even allow animals to be kept.”
Imran Riaz was kept in a cage, where civilised countries would not even allow animals to be kept.Poisoning also suspected.All those responsible shd be ashamed. Rather than scaring ppl of Pak into silence,this only adds to ppl's anger against this cabal of crooks & their handlers. pic.twitter.com/9CYvls6OZC
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 15, 2022
“Poisoning also suspected. All those responsible should be ashamed. Rather than scaring people of Pakistan into silence, this only adds to people’s anger against this cabal of crooks and their handlers.”
In response, Maryam Nawaz criticised Khan for “short-term memory or duplicity” and “death cell in Kot Lakhpat jail that you kept me in for months.”
You need to see the death cell in Kotlakhpat jail that you kept me in for months, where there was no wall between the bathroom & چارپائی room? Should I send you the pictures ? Short term memory loss or duplicity? https://t.co/SJrd60wnTF
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 15, 2022
“There was no wall between the bathroom and charpoy [in the] room. Should I send you the pictures? Short-term memory loss or duplicity?”