Anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan, who had been missing for more than four months, has been safely recovered and is with family, the Sialkot police said on Monday.

The anchorperson’s lawyer Ali Ashfaq also confirmed his recovery in a post on X. “By God’s special blessing, grace, and mercy, I have brought back my prince.

“It took a lot of time due to the mountain of difficulties, the last limit of understanding of the matter, a weak judiciary, and the current ineffective public constitution and legal helplessness,” Ashfaq said.

Riaz was among the individuals apprehended in the wake of violent protests that erupted in the country after the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

A first information report (FIR) against unidentified persons and police officials for allegedly kidnapping Imran Riaz was registered with Civil Lines police on the complaint of the anchorperson’s father.

The FIR was registered against “unidentified persons” and police officials for allegedly kidnapping the anchorperson, invoking Section 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The anchorperson was last known to be taken to Cantt police station after his arrest and later to the Sialkot prison.

On September 21, Chief Justice of Lahore High Court Muhammad Ameer Bhatti granted last opportunity to the IGP to recover Riaz when he told the court that provincial intelligence chief was out of the city.

The police chief said a joint working group would meet again on Friday and sought another week’s time.