Senior journalist and anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan was apparently poisoned when he was in police custody. He made the alarming revelation on Twitter.
According to the details provided by his lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq, Imran Riaz Khan was on his way to Dubai to get some medical tests done for which he attained an appointment with great difficulty. However, authorities at Lahore Airport barred him from leaving Pakistan due to his name being on the watch list.
Read more: Watch Dr Moeed Pirzada analysis on arrest of Imran Riaz Khan
“Imran Riaz Khan had to leave for Dubai today on a return ticket for a lab test immediately after his physical examination, for which he got an appointment with great difficulty. Based on his name being on the watch list at Lahore Airport, he has been stopped – you will be responsible for further deterioration [of his health],” Mian Ali Ashfaq tweeted.
Shortly after, Imran Riaz Khan revealed the reason for traveling to Dubai. He said his doctors think he was given something dangerous to eat while in police custody. Therefore, he intended to go to Dubai for some medical tests to corroborate his claim.
“According to my doctors, during my arrest, I was given something to eat that could be dangerous. I had to take some tests. So that I can prove what has been tried. Stopped at the airport. Full details shortly,” Imran Riaz Khan tweeted.
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
Ever since #ImranRiazKhanPoisoned has been among the top Twitter trends in Pakistan. Netizens have expressed concern and are praying for his health. They are also lashing out at the incumbent government for allegedly trying to silence its most tough critic.
Imran Riaz Khan’s arrest
Imran Riaz Khan was arrested near the outskirts of Islamabad in connection with a “treason” case registered against him in Attock. Interestingly, the Punjab police arrested Imran Khan disregarding the fact that a court has already granted him a pre-arrest bail.
Pertinent to mention, Imran Riaz Khan has been extremely critical of the incumbent government. In many of his vlogs, he has been “exposing” the government and lashing out at the state institutions as well. Since then, Imran Riaz Khan has been implicated in a slew of cases that he says were motivated by his refusal to “stop speaking the truth”.
Read more: IFJ urges Pak authorities to drop cases against Imran Riaz Khan
The journalistic community, along with the public, has expressed anger at the arrest as it is being considered suppression of free speech. On the other hand, the anchorperson was released before Eid after the Lahore High Court granted bail to him in a case registered by Saddar Chakwal police while hearing his plea against 18 FIRs.