Attock court issues immediate release orders of TV anchor Imran Riaz Khan

• Attock court orders release of anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan.
• Imran Riaz Khan was presented before court by Punjab Police, seeking three-day physical remand.
• He was taken into custody from Islamabad Toll Plaza while going to federal capital ahead IHC hearing.

Popular anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan was given relief by an Attock court on Thursday when a case against him was dismissed and the police were instructed to let him go if he wasn't wanted in another case.

The Punjab Police brought Imran Riaz Khan before the court and asked for a three-day physical remand.

Before a hearing in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for an extension in bail, the police detained him as he arrived at the federal capital from the Islamabad Toll Plaza.

After hearing the case till 3am in the morning, Judicial Magistrate Attock Yasir Tanveer reserved the decision, which was issued later in the morning.

“…..keeping in view the above said facts and circumstances and guidance from the above said case laws, at this moment the case in hand is not a case of sufficient evidence which connect the accused Imran Riaz with the commission of the offence as embodied in the crime report, therefore, the accused Imran Riaz Khan is hereby discharged from this case,” the judge stated in the eight-page order.

The order said that Imran Riaz Khan was to be released immediately if he wasn't needed in any other case, but it was also stated that the police could continue their investigation after following the law if they collected enough evidence. However, any legal action would be taken strictly in accordance with the law.

Imran Riaz Khan was brought before the Attock court on Wednesday following his detention, but the court declined to hear the case because parts of the Prevention Of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 had been added to the FIR.

Later, the anchorperson was brought before Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Pervaiz Khan in Rawalpindi, who ordered that the accusations brought against him under the provisions of the PECA be withdrawn and that the case be scheduled for hearing in the Attock court.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) official informed the judge that the offences listed in the first information report against Imran were not "actually made out" and that the police had incorrectly filed the FIR based on PECA provisions, and the court then announced the decision.

The FIA official further informed the court that no offence had been committed according to the PECA sections and the FIA did not have the privilege to investigate the matter further.

Earlier, the IHC had disposed of the case and directed him to approach the Lahore High Court.

FIR against Imran Riaz Khan

Charges framed in the FIR against the anchorperson include sections 505-1(C) (statements conducing to public mischief with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community), 505 (2) (whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement or report containing rumour or alarming news with intent to create or promote feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities), 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory), and 109 (punishment of abetment if the Act abetted committed In consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment) of the Pakistan Penal Code and six different PECA sections.