Islamabad, May 29, (dpa/GNA) – The family of a prominent TV anchor and YouTuber, who went missing amid political turmoil in Pakistan, fear for his life as the authorities, remain clueless about his whereabouts.
“We are extremely worried and fear for his life,” Usman Riaz Khan, brother of the missing journalist, told dpa on Monday.
Imran Riaz Khan, known for his support of former premier Imran Khan, was arrested on May 11 at Punjab’s Sialkot Airport during a crackdown on Khan’s party for violent protests over his arrest.
Police told the family he was subsequently released.
A court in Lahore has directed all agencies including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to work together and find the missing journalist.
“The government’s response to Imran Riaz’s disappearance is condemnable,” rights activist and lawyer Imaan Mazari told dpa.
“Instead of condemning enforced disappearances – irrespective of who is the target of the same – the relevant minister began deflecting accountability by arguing that Riaz is not a journalist,” she said.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) citied diplomatic sources, and expressed concern that the journalist may have even died in custody.
Khan, who had openly supported the Pakistani army in the past, said he was harassed for raising questions about the army.
The presenter was taken off several times, and was also arrested in the past for his for provocative statements against the military.
Another journalist and anchorperson, Sami Ibrahim, has been missing since Thursday from Islamabad.
“We are not taking any step that could be a threat to the life of missing journalists,” Afzal Butt, president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), told dpa.
GNA