Imran Riaz Khan

Imran Riaz Khan (Punjabi, Urdu: عمران ریاض خان born 14 August 1975, Faisalabad)[1] is a Pakistani journalist and a YouTuber.

Imran Riaz Khan
عمران ریاض خان
Personal information
Born (1975-08-14) 14 August 1975[1]
Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan
NationalityPakistani
Occupation(s)Journalist
YouTuber
Crime Reporter
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2020–present
GenreNews
Subscribers4 million[2]
Total views1.53billion[2]
100,000 subscribers2020
1,000,000 subscribers2021
Last updated: 17 April 2023

Journalism career

He started his career as a news anchor and journalist on the Express News channel.[3] He started his YouTube channel "Imran Riaz Khan" in 2020, which as of October 2022 has more than 3.48 million subscribers.[4]

As a current affairs host he has also worked with the television channels GNN,[5] and Samaa TV.[6]

Arrest

While entering Islamabad Toll Plaza on 5 July 2022, he was driving "to the federal capital to get bail from the Islamabad High Court,"[7] and was arrested when Punjab Police surrounded his car before he could pass out of Punjab jurisdiction,[8] despite being aware of court orders by the Islamabad[9] and Lahore High Courts,[3] and issuances of protective pre-arrest bail grants, intended to avoid an arrest of the journalist. Riaz later uploaded a video on YouTube stating that if he is not released, he will release the names of everyone who is behind the alleged regime change operation in which foreign influence provoked a constitutional crisis,[10] ultimately ending with the PTI government of Imran Khan being ousted, when the former Prime Minister was removed from office in what he calls an "American conspiracy" against the sovereignty of Pakistan.[11]

A day before his arrest, Riaz was critical of the Shehbaz Sharif-led government and uploaded a video to YouTube,[12] in which Dawn News said Riaz "directly addressed Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and alleged that he was threatened after asking questions from military sources about the country's current political and economic situation."[13] Riaz also indicated that his family is the target of threats.[12]

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan strongly protested the "arbitrary arrest" and called on the public as well as the media to "unite and stand up against this fascism."[14] Former official Asad Umar stated that PTI party workers will stage protests at press clubs throughout the country for what he said is an "attempt to suppress freedom of expression".[7][9][3] Immediately following the arrest, reports[7] showed a wide condemnation of the treatment and expressions of concern stemming from similar ideological grounds favoring free speech, including that of academic and activist Ammar Ali Jan, who warned of the irrationality in "clumsy" uses of force in a "battle of ideas."[7]

He was released on bail on 9 July 2022, by Lahore High Courts' Judge Justice Baqar Najafi.[15] His name was added to the Exit Control List by the FIA on the request of the police.[16]

He was arrested again on Feb 2nd, 2023 [17]

References
  1. Bhutto, Salima (6 July 2022). "Who is Imran Riaz Khan and why was he arrested?". MMNews. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  2. "About Imran Riaz Khan". YouTube.
  3. "ExpressNews anchor booked for sedition on gutka seller's complaint". The Express Tribune. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  4. Gutelle, Sam (22 April 2022). "YouTube and TikTok are changing the political landscape in Pakistan and Afghanistan". Tubefilter.
  5. "Clash with Imran Khan - GNN Shows". GNN - Pakistan's Largest News Portal.
  6. Khan, Imad. "On the Wrong Side of the Government, Pakistani Journalists Turn to YouTube". CNET.
  7. Asghar, Imran (6 July 2022). "Senior journalist Imran Riaz Khan arrested from Islamabad Toll Plaza". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  8. "Anchorperson arrested in Attock". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  9. "Pakistan police arrest TV journalist on outskirts of capital". The Associated Press. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  10. "ISPR, other state institutions endorsed NSC's decision, says Qasim Suri". The International News. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  11. Goldbaum, Christina; Masood, Salman (2 April 2022). "Claiming No-Confidence Vote Is Compromised, Imran Khan Says He Won't Accept Result". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  12. Journalist Imran Riaz Khan's talk with COAS Bajwa | Who Threatening his Family?, retrieved 6 July 2022
  13. Bilal, Rana (5 July 2022). "Journalist Imran Riaz Khan arrested near Islamabad". The Dawn. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  14. Desk, Web (6 July 2022). "Imran Khan asks people to protest against Imran Riaz's arrest". ARY NEWS.
  15. Hussain, Shahid (9 July 2022). "Imran Riaz Khan gets bail in Chakwal case". The International News. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  16. "Journalist Imran Riaz offloaded from Dubai-bound flight". The Express Tribune. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  17. "Anchorperson Imran Riaz detained in Lahore: lawyer". DAWN. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
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