ATC grants bail to senior journalist Matiullah Jan
According to Pakistan-based ARY News, veteran journalist Matiullah Jan was detained after an alleged altercation with police at a security checkpoint in Islamabad, but the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) granted him release.
ATC judge Tahir Abbas Sipra ordered authorities to free the journalist on Saturday after approving Jan’s bail request against security bonds of 10,000 Pakistani Rupees (PKR).
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had earlier halted Matiullah Jan’s two-day physical remand. Orders were made by Chief Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, who also requested that authorities take Matiullah Jan into court custody.
Jan’s physical remand has already been contested in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Details reveal that Imaan Mazari, the journalist’s attorney, had appealed the ATC judge Tahir Abbas Sipra’s decision.
In a complaint filed at the Margalla police station, veteran journalist Matiullah Jan was placed on physical remand for two days by the Anti-Terrorism Court on Friday, according to ARY News.
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The ATC judge, Tahir Abbas Sipra, reportedly gave the reserved judgment after the police asked for Matiullah Jan to be physically remanded for 30 days. Nonetheless, the judge authorized the journalist’s two-day physical remand.
According to ARY News, Jan was taken into custody in Islamabad and a complaint was filed against him at the Margalla police station.
The driver reportedly attempted to run over a police officer who motioned for him to stop the vehicle, according to the FIR. According to reports, the driver endangered the lives of the staff members by driving the car in their direction. By putting a barrier in the way, the staff was able to halt the car.
Matiullah The FIR claimed that the journalist was under the influence of narcotics since ice was found in the vehicle seat, and Jan’s name is referenced in the case. According to ARY News, Jan is facing allegations of attempted murder and other severe offenses.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has demanded Matiullah Jan’s release after his detention. CPJ issued the following statement: “Pakistan authorities must immediately and unconditionally release senior journalist Matiullah Jan and stop harassing him for his journalistic work.”
CPJ’s Asia program coordinator, Beh Lih Yi, expressed disapproval of his detention, saying, “CPJ is appalled by the arrest of Pakistani journalist Matiullah Jan after he covered protests in Islamabad.” Jan must be freed promptly and without conditions by the Pakistani government, and they must make sure that reporters won’t face reprisals for their work.
Amnesty International, a human rights organization, also used X to advocate for Jan’s release and label the accusations against him “politically motivated.”
Dawn said that Jan’s “arbitrary detention” on “trumped up charges” was deemed “an affront on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom” by Amnesty International.
According to a Dawn report, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has called on Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to step in and ensure Jan’s immediate release.
PFUJ Secretary General Arshad Ansari and President Afzal Butt denounced his detention in a statement.In its report, the Pakistani Human Rights Commission called for Jan’s “immediate and unconditional release.”
