Islamabad Police arrested senior journalist and reporter Matiullah Jan on Thursday following reports of a case filed against him and subsequently transferred Jan to Margalla Police Station. Notably, no transcript or official documentation of the case has yet been made available.
Waheed Murad, Jan’s son, reported from his father’s X account (formerly known as Twitter) that his father was abducted from the parking area of PIMS around 11 PM by individuals in an unmarked vehicle. Saqib Bashir, who was with him, was released five minutes later. Murad linked the abduction to his father’s bold reporting on Islamabad protests, demanding his immediate release and that authorities inform the family of his whereabouts.
Matiullah Jan has been abducted from the parking of PIMS tonight at around 11 by unmarked abductors in an unmarked vehicle alongside Saqib Bashir (who was let go 5 minutes later). This follows his courageous coverage of the protests in Islamabad. I demand that my father be let go…
— Matiullah Jan (@Matiullahjan919) November 28, 2024Additionally, the American NGO Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the arrest of the senior journalist.
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Jan’s son also stated on X’s video message that he had been “abducted” from PIMS’s parking lot late at night by unknown abductors.
— Matiullah Jan (@Matiullahjan919) November 28, 2024
In a similar incident in 2020, Jan disappeared in Islamabad and returned home after nearly 12 hours. Upon his return, he thanked the national and international journalist community, politicians, and the judiciary for their swift actions that ensured his safe return.
