On Saturday, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Islamabad granted the bail application of senior journalist Matiullah Jan in a case of sale and possession of narcotics. The hearing was chaired by Justice Tahir Abbas Sipra, in which Jan was present before the court. Furthermore, a copy of the order from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) was attached to the record of the case.
The bail of Jan has been allowed by the court, which directed him to deposit surety bonds of Rs. 10,000.
Earlier, on November 28, Jan was given a two-day physical remand by the ATC. He was charged with several allegations including the torture of policemen, robbery of a weapon, and possession of drugs. At about 11:30 Thursday night, he was arrested in Islamabad at the I-9 checkpoint.
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As per the FIR, Jan’s vehicle hit a constable, according to accusations, and stole a government-issued weapon. He is said to be intoxicated with drugs, with 246 grams of crystal meth found in his car.
The journalist is charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997, anti-narcotics laws, and the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The case registered on the FIR of Superintendent of Police Asif Ali is widely criticized.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned Jan’s arrest expressed concern and called for his immediate release.