ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A Pakistani journalist, who was detained under anti-terror legislation while investigating alleged fatalities during protests for the former Prime Minister Imran Khan, was granted bail and released on Saturday. The journalist, Matiullah Jan, a known TV presenter and YouTube journalist, was arrested late Wednesday amid his inquiries at Islamabad’s PIMS Hospital about reported deaths in the protests.
According to his lawyer, Imaan Mazari, Jan faced charges of drug possession and the attempted murder of an on-duty policeman while allegedly under the influence. He was taken before a specialist anti-terrorism court in Islamabad the next day. The recent incident has drawn considerable attention from media rights groups, which condemned Jan’s detention as an attempt by the government to curb press freedom.
Tensions escalated in Islamabad this past week as over 10,000 supporters of Imran Khan defied a ban on public gatherings. The protests led to forceful evacuations by security forces in a significant crackdown. In the wake of the turmoil, the government reported the deaths of at least five security personnel. Conversely, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party claims that at least ten of their supporters were killed by security force gunfire. Government officials, however, have firmly denied these allegations of violence.
During an interaction with reporters on Saturday, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar refuted claims describing the event as brutal, asserting that there was no indication of any massacre. This statement comes amid recurrent accusations against successive Pakistani administrations of utilizing broad anti-terrorism laws to suppress dissent and criticism.
Matiullah Jan is no stranger to government scrutiny; he was briefly detained in 2020, during Imran Khan’s four-year term. His recent release at around 6:00 pm local time followed the approval of his bail. His lawyer conveyed that there was considerable displeasure from the establishment regarding Jan’s investigative reporting, suggesting ongoing tensions between the government and journalists pushing boundaries on sensitive issues.
This week’s events underscore an ongoing debate around freedom of expression, the role of law enforcement, and the boundaries of anti-terrorism legislation in Pakistan—a country where journalists often face risks in their pursuit of unveiling the truth. The broader implications for media freedom remain a focal point of concern for rights advocates both locally and internationally.
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