Amnesty International 'alarmed' over journalist Imran Riaz's arrest

• Amnesty urges authoritiesto stop punishing dissenting voices.
• Imran Riaz was arrested yesterday night in Attock.
• Amnesty says journalism should not be treated as crime.

Amnesty International said it is "alarmed" by the news circulating about the arrest of journalist and anchorperson Imran Riaz in Pakistan a day prior.

Urging the authoritiesto "stop punishing dissenting voices", Amnesty said in a tweet that it has been a "worrying trend in Pakistan for many years".

"Amnesty International is alarmed by news of journalist Imran Riaz Khan’s arrest and urges authorities to stop punishing dissenting voices, as has been a worrying trend in Pakistan for many years," wrote Amnesty.

Attock police arrested journalist and anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan in Attock on Tuesday.

Dawn.com, quoting the journalist's counsel, reported that 17 treason cases have been registered against Imran across Punjab, while he was also filing a contempt of court case against the police.

The human rights watchdog said that "journalists have disappeared, faced politically motivated charges and even violently attacked for simply doing their job."

It added that journalism should not be treated as a crime.

Following Imran's arrest, PTI leaders — including Chairman Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry, Asad Umar, Shahbaz Gill, and others — raised voices in support of the journalist and condemned the act.