Description:

High court claims that the journalist was detained in Punjab, but the defence claims that it actually happened in Islamabad.

The appeal concerning the detention of senior reporter Imran Riaz Khan in Attock was dismissed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday after the petitioner"s attorney was instructed to contact the Lahore High Court (LHC).

The IHC, presided over by Chief Justice Athar Minallah, reviewed the case of the journalist"s detention and determined that it was outside the purview of the high court because the journalist had not been taken into custody in Islamabad.

The Islamabad police asserted that the journalist was detained outside the federal capital, but the journalist"s attorney contended that the detention occurred inside Islamabad.

"Imran Riaz called me and said he was at the toll booth in Islamabad. He was detained inside the city limits of Islamabad, according to the attorney.

Imran Riaz from Islamabad had previously filed appeals to escape detention, and the IHC had previously ordered law enforcement officials not to detain him.

According to the attorney, police officers filed 17 complaints against the journalist in the LHC, and as a result, Imran"s attorney filed a contempt of court action in the high court.

He added that the first informant report (FIR) of Imran Riaz on Tuesday night was not communicated to the LHC.

Judge Athar Minallah of the IHC stated that as each court also has its own jurisdiction and the arrest was not made pursuant to an order of the IHC, the LHC could look into the situation.

He added that the IHC"s rulings only prohibited the arrest of the journalist from Islamabad and that the court was not authorised to inquire into events occurring in Punjab.

The CJ insisted that unless the LHC said that the accusation was made from federal capital, the IHC would not provide any observations in the matter. If so, Justice Minallah said, "bring that LHC order before this court."

He added that approaching the LHC and bringing up the jurisdictional issue there was in the petitioner"s best interest.

Arrest of Imran Riaz

Imran Riaz Khan, a veteran journalist and Express News anchor who is the most outspoken opponent of the ruling coalition, was detained in Islamabad Toll Plaza late on Tuesday despite having been granted pre-arrest bail by a court.

The journalist has been charged in numerous cases, all of which, in his words, stem from his refusal to "stop speaking the truth."

More than a dozen FIRs have recently been filed against him on serious counts like aiding a revolt and criticising state institutions.
More than a dozen Punjab Police personnel can be seen encircling his car in a video of his detention that quickly became popular on social media.

He was reportedly taken to same district after being apprehended in connection with a case reported to the Attock police station.