Senior journalist Matiullah Jan was released after being granted bail by an Anti Terrorism Court in Islamabad on November 30. The bail was granted against a bond of Rs10,000.
Jan was arrested in a terrorism and narcotics possession case in what rights groups and journalist bodies termed a “bogus” case on “trumped up charges.”
Jan was presented before an anti-terrorism court on November 28, which granted a two-day physical remand of the journalist. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on November 29 had suspended Jan’s physical remand.
During a November 29 morning hearing, a petition challenging Jan’s physical remand was presented before IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir. Jan’s legal representatives argued that the charges lacked merit and urged the court to address the matter promptly. After reviewing the case, the court suspended the physical remand and directed that Jan be placed on judicial remand.
The Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) also supported the petition, with its president highlighting flaws in the FIR, including that it “had no mention of buying or selling [narcotics]”.
On the night of November 27, Jan was picked up from outside Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad. A First Information Report (FIR), dated November 28, was registered against Jan, accusing him of terrorism and narcotics possession. The charges include alleged possession of 246 grams of crystal meth (ICE) and threatening police officers at a checkpoint in Islamabad. The FIR further alleged that Jan attempted to ram his vehicle into a police barricade and assaulted a constable. These accusations have been widely criticized as fabricated.
The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) strongly condemned the bizarr
