Pakistani senior journalist Matiullah Jan has been indicted in an alleged drug smuggling and terrorism case. The trial of the journalist is likely to begin by October 31, as the court has decided to indict him on that date in the narcotics case.
The anti-terrorism court presided over by Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra handed over all case documents to Mr. Jan on Friday. The case was registered against the journalist at the Margala Police Station on November 8, last year. It accused the journalist of snatching a government-issued rifle, hitting a vehicle at a police barrier, and possessing narcotics.
According to the FIR, the car of Matiullah Jan was stopped at a checkpoint in sector E-9, where he allegedly resisted arrest, hit his vehicle into a police barrier, and snatched a rifle before being subdued. The FIR invoked in this case includes Section 9 of the Control of Narcotics Substances Act for possessing 100-500 grams of crystal meth, and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act for acts of terrorism.
After 30 years of journalism/Supreme Court reporting, education and being a British @CheveningAA scholar from City University London, I could never imagine how low could our police get 2 defame me for reporting deaths from PIMS hospital on 27/11/24 https://t.co/sfF8Eiirwp
— Matiullah Jan (@Matiullahjan919) October 25, 2025
The trial of Matiullah Jan begins amid strong criticism from journalist bodies and right groups who allege that he is being targeted for investigating reports of deaths of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf protesters at the hands of law enforcement agencies, allegedly.
The journalist was arrested on November 26, 2024, and initially remanded into police custody by ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra. However, the Islamabad High Court later overturned that decision and sent him to judicial custody.
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His defense counsel advocates Iman Mazari Hazir and Hadi Ali Chatta, subsequently secured post-arrest bail from the same court. Meanwhile, Mathew Lajan also wrote a letter to the Inspector General of Islamabad Police alleging abduction and torture before his arrest.
In the letter written to the police, Jan stated that on November 27, 2024, he and his fellow journalist, Saqib Basheer, were abducted from the PIMS hospital in Islamabad parking area by a man in police uniform, blindfolded, and taken to an unknown location where they were tortured and illegally detained.
He claimed that police later registered a bogus FIR at Magadha police station, accusing him of terrorism and carrying and drug smuggling. Jaan said that his colleagues saw an affidavit before the ATC confirming their abduction.
He urged the IG to appoint an honest and independent officer to investigate the case on merit. Separately, the prosecution has also submitted a 35-page supplementary challenge to the court in the controversial tweet case against Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatta, who also represents Mr. Jan in the ATC proceedings.
With Additional Inputs from GVS South Asia Desk