SLAMABAD— Imran Riaz Khan, a Pakistani writer and blogger who is known for speaking out against the military and the government, was caught at Sialkot Airport as he was getting ready to leave for Oman.
Concerns have been made about press freedom in Pakistan because of this arrest. It comes after a wave of arbitrary arrests of journalists, political followers, and other people, which started after the recent arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Imran Riaz Khan said that he was arrested in a video clip that was shared on social media sites. He said that he tried to leave the country because it was hard for him to post his movies online because the internet was blocked. He also said that his team had told him that his voice should continue to reach people, which made him decide to leave.
“They have detained me,” he said. “I’ve been bothered and threatened, and my family has also been scared.” Khan also said that the orders to arrest him came from the home of the Nawaz Sharif family, which is called Raiwind.
Imran Riaz was also caught in Islamabad in July of last year.