Current:Home > MyPakistani journalist who supported jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan is freed by his captors-LoTradeCoin
Pakistani journalist who supported jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan is freed by his captors
View Date:2024-12-23 22:28:27
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A prominent Pakistani television journalist who went missing more than four months ago after being arrested by police returned home Monday after being freed, police and his colleagues said.
It is widely believed that Imran Riaz Khan, known for publicly supporting jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, was being held by security agencies. The two men are not related.
Imran Riaz Khan was arrested at an airport in Sialkot city in Punjab province in May as he tried to leave the country after sharing a video message saying that the space for him to do his job was shrinking in Pakistan and he was leaving so he could continue his professional work.
He went missing after his arrest, and since then his family had been trying to determine his whereabouts. Security agencies are notorious for holding people without producing them before the courts as required by law.
Police in Sialkot announced Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he had been “safely recovered” and was “now with his family.” They provided no further details.
Hamid Mir, a prominent TV journalist, confirmed that Khan had reached his home in Lahore. Khan’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, also confirmed his freedom on social media, without saying who had held him.
No one has claimed responsibility for Khan’s abduction. The international media watchdog Reporters Without Borders and Pakistan’s journalist community had demanded his release.
Khan has more than 5 million followers on X and is highly popular among supporters of former Prime Minister Khan, the country’s leading opposition figure who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022. The former prime minister was arrested in August on corruption charges and sentenced to three years in prison which was later suspended, though he remains in jail.
Imran Riaz Khan had written extensively and produced TV shows in support of the ex-prime minister before going missing.
Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf, welcomed his release.
Last Thursday, agents from the Federal Investigation Agency arrested an Islamabad-based TV anchor, Khalid Jamil, who is known for criticizing the authorities, on charges of spreading false information about state institutions on social media.
Pakistan has long been an unsafe country for journalists. In 2020, it ranked ninth on the Committee to Protect Journalists’ annual Global Impunity Index, which assesses countries where journalists are harassed and killed without the assailants being held accountable.
In recent years, activists and journalists have increasingly come under attack by the government and the security establishment, restricting the space for a free press, criticism and dissent.
veryGood! (387)
Related
- Gossip Girl Actress Chanel Banks Reported Missing After Vanishing in California
- 32 things we learned in NFL Week 10: Who will challenge for NFC throne?
- 2 Florida women charged after shooting death of photographer is livestreamed
- Satellite images and documents indicate China working on nuclear propulsion for new aircraft carrier
- MVSU football player killed, driver injured in crash after police chase
- Utah AD Mark Harlan fined $40,000 for ripping referees and the Big 12 after loss to BYU
- Firefighters make progress, but Southern California wildfire rages on
- NASCAR Championship race live updates, how to watch: Cup title on the line at Phoenix
- Man found dead in tanning bed at Indianapolis Planet Fitness; family wants stricter policies
- Arizona Supreme Court declines emergency request to extend ballot ‘curing’ deadline
Ranking
- Auburn surges, while Kansas remains No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll
- Ashton Jeanty stats: How many rushing yards did Boise State Heisman hopeful have vs Nevada
- Taylor Swift Politely Corrects Security’s Etiquette at Travis Kelce’s Chiefs Game
- Will Trump curb transgender rights? After election, community prepares for worst
- Two 'incredibly rare' sea serpents seen in Southern California waters months apart
- California farmers enjoy pistachio boom, with much of it headed to China
- Brianna LaPaglia Reacts to Rumors Dave Portnoy Paid Her $10 Million for a Zach Bryan Tell-All
- How Saturday Night Live Reacted to Donald Trump’s Win Over Kamala Harris
Recommendation
-
Democrat Janelle Bynum flips Oregon’s 5th District, will be state’s first Black member of Congress
-
Jordan Chiles Reveals She Still Has Bronze Medal in Emotional Update After 2024 Olympics Controversy
-
Digital Finance Research Institute Introduce
-
Deebo Samuel explains 'out of character' sideline altercation with 49ers long snapper, kicker
-
Relive Pregnant Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly's Achingly Beautiful Romance
-
Taylor Swift's Mom Andrea Gives Sweet Nod to Travis Kelce at Chiefs Game
-
Suspect arrested after deadly Tuskegee University homecoming shooting
-
Early Black Friday Deals: 70% Off Apple, Dyson, Tarte, Barefoot Dreams, Le Creuset & More + Free Shipping