Pakistan: Senior Journalist Matiullah Jan remanded for two days amid demands for his release
Senior journalist Matiullah Jan was on Thursday remanded for two days in police custody in a terrorism and narcotics case which have been termed “bogus” on “trumped up charges” as demands have been raised for his release, Dawn reported.
This incident once again demonstrates the alarming state of press freedom in Pakistan, which ranks at 150th spot out of 180 countries in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders.
The decision to keep him in police custody comes after he was reportedly detained in Islamabad on Wednesday night. Jan’s son said “unknown individuals” had abducted his father, before authorities said that they have a first information report (FIR), according to Dawn report.
Speaking to Dawn, Journalist Asad Toor said that he met with Jan in the morning. However, the journalist was taken elsewhere. Speaking about details regarding Jan’s condition, Toor said, “he was fine.”
He said, “When I reached Margalla police station early in the morning, no one was there so I was able to meet him once.” He further said, “They took him from the Margalla police station and disappeared him somewhere. His whereabouts are unknown now and we do not know in which court they will produce him,” the journalist added.
After demanding that police show him an FIR in which Jan was arrested, Toor said a police personnel showed him an FIR related to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf protest. According to Toor, the journalist’s name was not mentioned in the FIR.
