Anchor Imran Riaz was jailed on Friday in connection with a corruption case by a Lahore district and sessions court. Riaz was taken into custody last night.
Late last night, Riaz was taken into custody at his house; pictures of the incident quickly went viral on social media. The PTI has demanded that Riaz be released right away and condemned the detention.
Riaz was introduced by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to Judicial Magistrate Imran Abid. The ACE claims that Riaz and his father are suspected of paying an exorbitant price for a contract related to Dharabi Lake in Chakwal.
Sections 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention), 161 (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect to an official act), and 162 (taking gratification, in order by corrupt or illegal means to influence public servant) of the Pakistan Penal Code were invoked in the first information report (FIR) filed against Riaz. The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, Section 5(2)47 (criminal misconduct) was also cited.
The ACE requested a 14-day physical remand of Riaz during the hearing.
Rana Maroof, one of Riaz’s attorneys, claimed that the case brought against his client was untrue and illegal. He insisted that Riaz’s father was never employed by the government.
Maroof said that Riaz had not harmed the country’s finances. He remarked, “Imran Riaz was arrested like a terrorist.”
The other attorney for Riaz, Azhar Siddique, stated that the anti-corruption authorities lacked any documentation or proof to back up the accusations made against his client.
Riaz stated: “These people came to my house” during the hearing. I gave myself over to them. They were told to stay out of my house. After forcing me to sit in the car, they went into my house. My house was searched for fifteen minutes.
He claimed that the relevant authorities were lying about the deal. “Rs11 million was the previous contract amount. We accepted this business for more than Rs. 4 million,” he remarked.
He said that he was having shackles put on to “pay salute to the queen,” presumably alluding to Maryam Nawaz of the PML-N, who the party has nominated for the position of provincial chief minister.
He declared, “The queen is becoming the prime minister after stealing the votes of the people.” He demanded that the authorities present a single court document that exposed corruption in any kind.
Riaz stated, “My father is an honest man, and I find it upsetting that he has been called corrupt.”
Riaz declared that he will keep fighting the “corrupt mafia” and expressed his high hopes for the courts.
The anchor went on to say that he had personally “borne all the cruelty.” “It is because my father was called corrupt that I am stuttering again today,” he asserted.
Even if they beat me, the institutions and their staff are still my own because they are ACE employees carrying out their duties, Riaz declared. “It’s possible that other individuals would meet me [in detention] and torture me if they arrest me today.
He reminded the court that his wife had implored the people who had arrested him the night before and had not stopped wondering why the anchorperson was being detained. “But I will bear that cruelty as well,” he said. Riaz continued, “I myself had no idea why they were arresting me or who they were.”
He continued by saying that although he had turned himself in, he asked the police to stay out of his home. However, Riaz added, “I don’t know what they did when they entered my home.”
In addition, he said that Pakistan “will not stay like this forever” and expressed hope that the nation would eventually recover.
The majority of my pals who work as journalists advise me to go abroad and buy real estate. However, I assure them that for as long as I live, I will remain in Pakistan. I squandered all I made here in this country, Riaz continued.
The court then postponed making a decision regarding the motion for the anchorperson’s physical remand. Subsequently, the judge denied the plea of the ACE and placed Riaz under judicial remand.
The judicial magistrate stated in the written ruling that the accused is “well nominated in the FIR and a specific role has been assigned to him” based on the review of the record.
After carefully reviewing the record, it is evident that the prosecution already has all the papers needed for the investigation. During the course of the investigation, the accused has previously provided the investigation officer (IO) with all relevant case papers, the magistrate stated.
He added that there was no need for a physical remand because nothing needed to be taken from the accused.
He stated that Riaz should appear in court on March 8 and that “therefore, the request of the IO for granting 14 days physical remand is turned down and the accused is hereby sent to judicial lockup for 14 days.”
