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ISLAMABAD: Senior journalist Matiullah Jan was remanded in police custody over alleged drug possession and assaulting a policeman, charges that were derided by journalists’ bodies, his legal team and even a PML-N leader, as being “bogus”.
Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) handed Mr Jan over to police following his arrest on Nov 26.
The case, registered at the Margalla Police Station, included Section 9(2)4 of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act (CNSA) — possessing or trafficking “more than 100g and up to 500g” of psychotropic substance — and Section 7 (Punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997.
The FIR claimed that Mr Jan was in possession of the narcotic methamphetamine (crystal meth) when his vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint at Islamabad’s Sector E-9, Dawn.com reported.
ATC judge grants police two-day remand; rights bodies demand his release; Rana Sanaullah terms charges ‘concocted’
It claimed that Mr Jan “rammed the vehicle” into the cops, injuring Constable Mudassir.
When the car stopped at the security barrier, Mr Jan stepped out and “assaulted” a cop, snatched his weapon and pointed it back at the cop, the FIR said.
However, his legal team maintained that Mr Jan was being targeted as he was working to verify reports of deaths caused by law-enforcement action against PTI protesters.
Court hearing
Mr Jan was moved around the twin cities in a bid to prevent access to him, his legal team claimed, and was presented before an ATC later in the day, where police requested his 30-day physical remand.
A special prosecutor argued that police must be allowed to complete their investigation into the supply chain of the narcotics recovered from Mr Jan’s possession.
Mr Jan’s lawyers, Faisal Chaudhry, Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Barrister Hadi Chatha, called the charges baseless and politically motivated, aimed at suppressing his work.
The counsel stated that there was no legitimate need for a physical remand and demanded the acquittal of Mr Jan, emphasising his contributions to journalism and the lack of evidence for the charges.
After reviewing the arguments and case records, Judge Sipra acknowledged Mr Jan’s reputation as a “bold” journalist but stated that his professional background does not exempt him from investigation.
The judge granted a two-day remand and asked the investigating officer to present the accused before court on Saturday.
Condemnation
Amnesty International, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists have condemned Mr Jan’s arrest and sought his immediate release.
The Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors termed the charges against him “absurd”, saying that the accusations represent a “new tactic against journalists”.
Mr Jan’s “arbitrary detention” on “trumped up charges” was “an affront on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom,” Amnesty International said in a post on X.
The Committee to Protect Journalists also noted that the police action followed Mr Jan’s “coverage of protests” by PTI supporters.
Meanwhile, PM’s aide Rana Sanaullah — a former interior minister — noted that the current case against Mr Jan was a “concocted [and] fabricated story”.
When asked about the case during an appearance on Geo News, Mr Sanaullah — who was implicated in a bogus narcotics case himself under the previous PTI regime — said the Islamabad police chief should answer for this, since his force was the complainant in the FIR.
He said people like him were actually helping the country by investigating and corroborating rumours of alleged death figures in the PTI protest, Dawn.com reported.
Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2024
