Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday suspended the two-day physical remand of senior journalist Matiullah Jan in a terrorism and narcotics case that was widely derided as being “bogus” on “trumped up charges” amid demands for his release.

Jan was booked in the case on Thursday after reportedly being detained in Islamabad on Wednesday night. His son said “unknown individuals” had abducted the journalist, before authorities confirmed filing a first information report (FIR) on Thursday.

Later in the day, Jan was presented in the Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) where Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra granted the police Jan’s two-day physical remand, denying their request for a 30-day custody.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir took up a petition filed by Jan’s counsels in the morning.

Advocates Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha appeared before the court today as Jan’s lawyers.

In a post on X, Imaan had said she has requested for the petition to be fixed for hearing today considering the “urgency of the matter”.

Imaan said a bail petition for Jan would also be filed today. IHC Bar Association (IHCBA) President Riasat Ali Azad was present during the hearing as well.

At the outset of the hearing, the ATC’s order was read out on the court’s directives.

“Matiullah Jan was arrested in a false and fabricated case,” Imaan contended before the court.

“We request that the hearing on the petition against his physical remand be held today. If it is held tomorrow or on Monday it will be useless.”

Meanwhile, IHCBA’s Azad told the court that an affidavit by Saqib Bashir, another journalist briefly detained yesterday, was available.

“This case is a baseless story based on lies,” Azad said. The court removed the objections to the petition.

During the hearing, the IHCBA president pointed out that the FIR against the journalist “had no mention of buying or selling [narcotics]”.

Subsequently, the judges ordered the suspension of Jan’s physical remand and that he be sent on judicial remand.

Amid reports of Jan’s arrest a day ago, rights bodies and the journalism fraternity voiced their concerns and demanded his release.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International said Jan’s “arbitrary detention” on “trumped up charges” was “an affront on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom”. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed grave alarm over “reports of the abduction” of Jan, noting it followed “his coverage of protests by supporters of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan”.