Cops in Lahore let me pass through multiple times: Imran Riaz reveals

Renowned YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan recently revealed in an interview that the police had helped him escape Pakistan while he was visiting Lahore.

He confirmed the social media reports from last week that he had left the country, giving credit to former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Qasim Suri, for his assistance.

The former TV host took to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, stating, “I am proud that my Lord granted me steadfastness against every injustice. I have endured the worst torture and terrifying imprisonment. I have been arrested 10 times and faced dozens of cases. I was even forcibly stopped from performing Hajj, but my Lord granted me patience. I have some important responsibilities to fulfil, and I will return to Pakistan soon, InshaAllah.”

For the past month, Khan had remained out of the public eye. However, he continued to upload regular vlogs on his YouTube channel, though his videos did not reveal any background details, leaving his exact location unclear.

In a recent interview, Riaz confirmed: “I spent most of my time in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan. But at one point, I thought it had been so long since I’d attended a social gathering. So, I went to Lahore in a car to attend an event hosted by my friend.”

The interviewer asked how he managed to visit Lahore when he was allegedly wanted by law enforcement agencies, to which he replied: “The cops saw me so many times at different police check posts and they just told me to get away quickly. Even if I go through some random police checkpost now; unless they are instructed especially to catch me, they will let me pass through.”

Riaz also narrated that during his visit to Lahore, he visited a hospital to check up on an acquaintance, saying: “When we went to the hospital, around 30-40 people recognized me, and a commotion started. They wanted to take pictures with me, but my friend told them it would be dangerous for me. They all agreed, and nobody took any pictures. They dropped me off at my car. To this day, I do not know who those people were.”

He opined that there is a general paranoia in Pakistan that a person is being tracked through online gadgets, but as long as one takes precautions like using VPNs, it is generally safe.