Journalist Imran Riaz Khan gets protective bail

Journalist Imran Riaz Khan has been granted a protective bail on Monday.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has accepted Express-News journalist Imran Riaz Khan’s plea for protective bail after multiple sedition cases were registered against him.

Khan had filed two petitions with the LHC through his lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq, stating: 

“The petitioner is apprehending his arrest while approaching the local District and Sessions Court of Thatha/Nawabshah for the purpose of surrendering before the court of law and seeking bail before arrest to defend the bogus, baseless allegation leveled against the petitioner and to join the investigation to prove his innocence during the course of the investigation.”

“Khan had approached the LHC for the grant of pre-arrest protective bail for “a reasonable time prior to reaching in Thatta/Nawabshah and to save himself from any irreparable loss in terms of his arrest despite that the case is absolutely false,” it stated.

Justice Tariq Nadeem and Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz separately heard the petitions filed by Imran Riaz Khan.

Justice Tariq Nadeem granted the journalist protective bail of four days while Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz granted the bail till May 31.

It emerged a day earlier that ExpressNews anchor was booked for sedition on gutka seller’s complaint.

On Sunday, The police in Thatta lodged a case against ExpressNews anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan for a range of offenses, including criticizing state institutions and abetting mutiny.

He was booked at Thatta’s Dhabeji police station under Sections 131 (incitement to mutiny), 153 (provoking to cause riot), 452 (trespassing), and 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

According to the first information report (FIR), the complainant had heard Imran Riaz using derogatory and provocative language on social media against the army and the country’s institutions.

“I am a patriotic citizen and I am shocked and hurt by the manner in which anchor Imran Riaz Khan has spoken on social media against Pakistan Army and state institutions,” the FIR stated.