An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad will indict senior journalist Matiullah Jan on October 31 in a case involving allegations of drug possession and terrorism. The decision came on October 24, when the court, presided over by Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, handed over all relevant case documents to Jan.
According to the case registered at Margalla Police Station on November 28, 2024, Jan is accused of snatching a government-issued rifle, ramming his vehicle into a police barrier, and possessing narcotics. The First Information Report (FIR) cites Section 9(2)4 of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act (CNSA) for possession of 100 to 500 grams of crystal meth and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) for alleged acts of terrorism.
The FIR states that Jan’s car was stopped at a checkpoint in Islamabad’s Sector E-9, where he allegedly resisted arrest, hit a police barrier, and snatched a rifle before being subdued. He was arrested on November 26, 2024, and initially remanded in police custody by the ATC. The Islamabad High Court later overturned that decision and ordered his transfer to judicial custody.
His defence counsels, Advocates Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chatha, subsequently obtained post-arrest bail from the same court. In a letter addressed to the Inspector General of Islamabad Police, Jan alleged that he was abducted and tortured prior to his formal arrest. He stated that on November 27, 2024, he and fellow journalist Saqib Bashir were taken from the parking area of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital by men in police uniforms, blindfolded, and detained at an undisclosed location.
Jan claimed that a fabricated FIR was later registered at Margalla Police Station, accusing him of terrorism and drug smuggling. He said that Bashir’s sworn affidavit before the ATC confirmed their abduction and requested that an independent officer be appointed to investigate the case on merit.
Meanwhile, senior journalists and human rights activists have called for the withdrawal of the charges against Jan. In a joint statement, they described the case as fabricated and urged the prime minister and the chief justices of the Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court to direct authorities to quash the FIR.
The statement was signed by veteran journalists and rights defenders, including Zahid Hussain, Farhatullah Babar, Mustansar Javaid, Anwar Iqbal, Mazhar Abbas, Amir Wasim, Munizae Jahangir, Nasir Zaidi, Shahzada Zulfikar, Sohail Sangi, Nasir Malick, Adnan Rehmat, Iqbal Khattak, Waris Raza, and Dr Shafqat Munir, among others.
