A local court on Friday rejected the case of Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) against tv anchor Imran Riaz Khan and ordered it to immediately release him.Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Virk passed the orders while hearing the case. As the hearing commenced, the FIA officials produced TV anchor Imran Riaz Khan before the court and sought 14-day physical remand. Strict security arrangements were made on the occasion.

Advocate Mian Ali Ashfaq represented the journalist who opposed the FIA’s case and asked the court to order his release. After hearing arguments of both sides, the judge dismissed the case and ordered release of Imran Riaz Khan. The FIA arrested the journalist from Lahore airport over charges of hate speech and making a violence-inducing statement” to create a rift between the general public and the state institutions”. He was arrested from the Lahore airport when he reached there to fly to the UAE. He was informed that his name was on ECL and he could not travel abroad.

The FIA booked him under sections 11 (electronic forgery), 20 (malicious code), and 24 (legal recognition of offenses committed in relation to information systems) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Peca) 2016. They also put sections 131/109 (incitement to mutiny), 500 (punishment for defamation) and 505 (public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code in the FIR.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP