Senior journalist and anchor Matiullah Jan was detained by Islamabad Police on Thursday after reports of a case being filed against him surfaced.
According to reports, Jan was taken to Margalla Police Station after being arrested by the police. It should be noted that no transcripts or copies of any recorded cases against Jan have yet been provided.
The arrest of the senior journalist was denounced by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an American non-governmental organization (NGO).
In a post on X, his family reported that he got “abducted” from the parking of PIMS at approximately 11pm by “unmarked kidnappers in an unmarked car”.
“I request that my father be let go right away and that his family immediately be made aware of his whereabouts,” said the note.
The journalist, who is also Imaan Mazari’s client, has been described as “missing” by renowned human rights attorney.
A first information report (FIR) was filed against Jan at the Margalla Police Station in Islamabad a few hours after he vanished. According to the FIR, Jan was taken into custody at the federal capital’s E-9 checkpoint.
Based on the FIR, the incident started late last night when Jan’s car was signaled to stop by police at a checkpoint. Constable Mudassir, who was on duty at the time, was hurt when Jan, according to the FIR, drove his car towards the cops instead of obeying.
According to the FIR, Jan also threatened the policemen and allegedly grabbed official weapons from them.
The substance “ice” was allegedly found in the journalist’s car, supporting the FIR’s allegation that he was under the influence of narcotics at the time of his detention.
Jan was taken to the Margalla Police Station after his arrest.
He will appear before the Anti-Terrorism Court later today, according to the officials.
