LAHORE: On Monday, Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti of the Lahore High Court suspended SHO Sialkot Cantt for failing to convince the court of the legality of the arrest of news anchor Imran Riaz Khan.
The CJ then had the case adjourned until 1 pm and made it plain to DPO Sialkot that there will be harsh repercussions as well.
The court has also called deputy commissioner Sialkot to appear in order to obtain authentic records related to the journalist’s arrest.
The single bench was hearing a complaint that Imran Riaz Khan was being held in “illegal detention” by the police and demanded that the concerned parties produce him.
Khan is one of two journalists who were detained by police last week and are ardent and outspoken followers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and his views.
After former prime minister Imran Khan was taken into custody on May 9 from the grounds of the Islamabad High Court, the administration reacted swiftly and launched a campaign against PTI supporters.
Aftab Iqbal, a television host and anchor, was detained from his Lahore farmhouse the same day that Khan, who is accused of instigating violence amid skirmishes between security forces and PTI supporters, was taken into custody at Sialkot Airport.
Khan is one of two journalists who were detained by police last week and are ardent and outspoken followers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and his views.
After former prime minister Imran Khan was taken into custody on May 9 from the grounds of the Islamabad High Court, the administration reacted swiftly and launched a campaign against PTI supporters.
Aftab Iqbal, a television host and anchor, was detained from his Lahore farmhouse the same day that Khan, who is accused of instigating violence amid skirmishes between security forces and PTI supporters, was taken into custody at Sialkot Airport.
“You failed to mention where you received the detention orders, nor did you mention your departure or arrival at the police station, and you could not even say who specifically had ordered you to take the anchorperson into custody,” the judge said.
“Did you have the detention order with you when you left the police station to make the arrest?” CJ Bhatti made a query.
When the officer was confronted with this, he confessed to having actually received the detention orders after the anchorperson had been taken into custody. Khan had been picked up by the police at the airport, the SHO added in a statement to the court.
This means you left the police station to arrest Imran Riaz Khan without a detention order in hand, CJ Bhatti said, horrified by the remark.
The court remarked that although “the Roznamcha is where you register every single move,” “not a single person at the police station was bothered to make the entries.”
The court continued by raising concerns about the specifics of the custody order. The SHO, however, chose to keep silent and gave no further explanations.
“I am giving you a show cause notice and you will have seven days to submit a written response. In the meantime, you will remain suspended from your duties,” CJ Bhatti said.
The judge then asked the DPO questions concerning the specifics of the detention order after noticing that the DPO had previously testified in court that he had given the orders to the SHO to make the arrest.
The officer said, “I had just received the information.
Yes, I am aware that you were given the information, but the judge said, “The court wants to know who the informant was and why these particulars were omitted from the Roznamcha.”
“There is a system that was followed,” the DPO added. “When police officers receive a call from the informer, they go to the location and make arrests. Following the filing of FIRs, the arrest is noted [on record].
However, the judge commented, “In this instance, the SHO left the police station to make the arrest without making any mention of it in the Roznamcha.”
The officers’ explanation alarmed CJ Bhatti, who said, “If you all will run things as per your own wishes then close the books of the Constitution and do as you please.”
Later, the LHC judge ordered that the courtroom footage of the anchorperson’s entrance at the jail following his detention be shown.
Then the meeting was postponed till 1 o’clock.
At Entertainment, Bisma Shakeel writes about US Entertainment news. After working as the editor of her college Entertainment news magazine, Bisma went into the Entertainment news industry. Being a fan of Simone Biles, she naturally chose the US Entertainment news. As a dedicated writer, Bisma is particularly interested in writing about the Entertainment. She keeps an eye on Allyson Felix, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and Simone Biles in addition to Usain Bolt. Whenever Bisma isn’t writing, she likes to ride her bike around or watch web series and movies.