The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday suspended the Anti-Terrorism Court's decision to grant a two-day physical remand for senior journalist Matiullah Jan. The court directed that Jan be placed on judicial remand instead.
A division bench, led by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, heard the petition challenging the Anti-Terrorism Court's order. During the proceedings, Advocate Riyasat Ali Azad, representing Matiullah Jan, argued that the case against the journalist was based on fabricated information and falsehoods, citing an affidavit from journalist Saqib Bashir as supporting evidence. After hearing the arguments, the court ruled in favor of the petition and ordered that Jan be transferred to judicial remand.
In a related development, lawyer Imaan Mazari announced that she would file a bail application for Matiullah Jan today. The hearing of the case has been postponed until Monday.
The arrest of Matiullah Jan has sparked strong reactions, particularly from the legal community. Mian Rauf, the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, condemned the arrest, calling the allegations against the journalist "frivolous and baseless." He emphasized the importance of safeguarding fundamental rights as enshrined in Pakistan's Constitution and called for the immediate release of Matiullah Jan.
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