IHC Redirects Anchor Imran Riaz's Legal Team To LHC

IHC Redirects Anchor Imran Riaz's Legal Team To LHC
Disposing of a petition filed by the legal team of anchorperson Imran Riaz who was arrested last night, Islamabad High Court (IHC) has asked the petitioner's counsel to approach the Lahore High Court (LHC), as the arrest was made outside the jurisdiction of the IHC.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition filed regarding Imran Riaz's arrest and commented that the case was not within the jurisdiction of the IHC, as the media person was not arrested from Islamabad.

However, despite the Islamabad police claiming that the journalist was arrested from outside the boundaries of the federal capital, the counsel for the journalist maintained that the arrest was made from within Islamabad.

“Imran Riaz called me and told me he was at the Islamabad toll plaza. He was arrested from within the limits of Islamabad,” the lawyer asserted.

The lawyer further that there were 17 cases filed against the journalist in the LHC by police personnel, following which Imran’s counsel filed a contempt of court case in the high court. Following this, the IHC had issued orders against Riaz's arrest, he reminded the court.

He claimed that the LHC had not been informed about the FIR against Imran Riaz on Tuesday.

CJ Minallah reiterated that every court had its own jurisdiction, and said that as the arrest did not fall under the jurisdiction of the IHC, it was the LHC that would investigate the arrest.

“The court cannot investigate matters occurring in Punjab,” he said, clarifying that the IHC’s orders only prevented the arrest of the anchorperson from Islamabad, adding that it would be in the petitioner's best interest if the legal counsel approached the LHC.