November 3, 2024
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD
Journalist Matiullah Jan has stated that the bogus narcotics and terror case against him still remains active, even though he has been released on condition of bail. The Islamabad High Court has issued notices to the federal government and Islamabad police to respond to his application to quash the case.
Jan was released from Adiala Jail on November 30 after an Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) granted him bail in a case that journalists, activists, and rights organisations widely termed ‘bogus’ and on trumped-up charges.
In an exclusive talk with Munizae Jahangir, Editor-in-Chief of Voicepk, after his release, Matiullah Jan said his lawyers approached the Islamabad High Court to cancel the alleged narcotics case against him. A bench comprising Chief Justice Aaamir Faroque and Justice Saman Akhtar conducted the initial hearing of the quashment application.
“The bench did not stay the proceedings of the first information report (FIR) as requested by the counsels but issued notices to the federal government and Islamabad police to respond to the application for the quashment of the case,” said Jan, adding that everybody was waiting for the identity of witnesses to be revealed who saw him committing the fabricated offences. “Given my age, If I was able to snatch a rifle from a police constable, then the Inspector General of Police should resign or pay attention to the training of his force,” he said.
The police response in the high court would set the record straight as to who was involved in the bogus case, he added.
What did the abductors want?
Jan was abducted by unidentified persons late at night from the car park of the PIMS hospital in Islamabad on November 28.
He was abducted alongside his journalist friend Saqib Bashir, who was later released. The kidnappers blindfolded him and drove him to a house in Islamabad. “I was abducted at 11.30pm but the FIR was filed at 2.30 am,” he pointed out. Jan said he was next moved to the hospital where his medical examination was conducted in connection with the FIR.
“The kidnappers did not say anything or make any demands,” Jan said in response to a question if the abductors had told him why they had brought him there. The senior journalist suspects he was picked up because he was investigating those dead from bullets fired at them at the PTI protest in Islamabad on November 24. Jan said his abductors did not take away data or notes related to his investigations into alleged fatalities in the Nov 24 crackdown. “I will soon release a report on my YouTube channel based on the findings,” he added.
According to sources, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif intervened to secure Jan’s release from his current incarceration. Former prime minister Imran Khan also interceded for the journalist’s recovery after his 12-hour abduction in 2020, the sources added.