Pakistan's popular YouTuber and television anchor Imran Riaz Khan, regarded as a staunch critic of the powerful army, was detained allegedly by officials of the intelligence agencies at the Lahore airport here on Wednesday, his lawyer claimed.

Khan, also a supporter of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, arrived at the Lahore airport in the morning to depart for Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj.

According to his lawyer Advocate Azhar Siddique, Khan was "kidnapped" by unidentified persons who were accompanied by policemen. He said Khan had also resisted his kidnapping but to no avail. "Khan's kidnappers have taken him to an undisclosed location," Saddique alleged, adding that his client has secured bail in all the fake cases registered against him and of late his name was removed from the no-fly list.

Meanwhile, Khan's brother also filed a petition in the Lahore High Court seeking the journalist's safe release.

Earlier in May last year, Khan was arrested two days after violent protests broke out across Pakistan following the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder leader Imran Khan’s arrest. After remaining in the custody of "unknown persons" for more than four months, he was released.

The PTI strongly condemned his arrest saying the incident once again represents the complete destruction of moral values of Pakistan in the last two years.

Taking to X, PTI said, “Have some sense. Your actions hurt Pakistan only. Is going to Hajj now considered a crime in Pakistan?”

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