- Margalla Police had registered a terrorism and narcotics case against anchor person
- ATC judge Sipra approves bail plea against surety bonds worth Rs10,000 each
ISLAMABAD: Senior journalist Matiullah Jan was released from Adiala Jail on Saturday after the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) granted his bail in a terrorism and narcotics case registered by the Margalla Police, widely derided as being “bogus” and “fabricated.”
Jan’s counsel Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir confirmed the development in a post on X.
Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge Tahir Abbas Sipra approved the bail plea against surety bonds worth Rs10,000 each and ordered the authorities to release Matiullah Jan.
A day ago, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the two-day physical remand of Matiullah Jan allowed by the ATC.
As per details, Chief Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir issued the orders and directed authorities to consider the senior journalist in judicial custody. Prior to this, Matiullah’s physical remand was challenged in Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The Journalist was presented before ATC judge Tahir Abbas Sipra today, after the anchor’s legal team filed his bail petition. Advocates Imaan, Hadi Ali Chattha and Attaullah Kundi appeared as Jan’s counsels in the court.
During the hearing, Judge Sipra ordered Jan to be sent on judicial remand. While prosecutor Raja Naveed opposed the bail petition, the judge approved it on surety bonds worth Rs10,000.
At the outset of the proceedings, the ATC Judge inquired when Jan would be presented before the court, to which the investigation officer replied that he would be brought to court at 12pm.
“Present Matiullah before the court as soon as possible,” the judge ordered.
The Judge sought a copy of the IHC order as soon as Jan was produced in the court and directed that it be added to the case record.
“I am sending him to jail on judicial remand,” the judge ordered, as per yesterday’s IHC directives.
Jan’s lawyer Kundi requested the court to take up the bail plea, noting it was filed earlier today. “Your bail petition comprised seven pages,” the judge as he issued notices to respondents.
“Issuing notices means that if the prosecution wishes to present arguments, it may do so,” Judge Sipra said. “I had also said the other day that appearing on TV screens has damaged journalists,” the judge remarked.
“They are making a video of the prosecutor viral,” he noted, asking where a certain prominent journalist today as he noted his absence. “I was expecting he would apologise today,” the judge said.
Referring to another journalist who was briefly detained with Jan, Judge Sipra asked: “Saqib Bashir sahib, you have been coming here for a long time. Have you ever done so?”
The judge then asked lawyer Kundi if had anything to say, to which he replied that it was now the witnesses’ responsibility to submit an affidavit. The judge, referring to Bashir, observed: “The person at the scene was the one who submitted affidavit. He has suffered it.”
When asked about his arguments, prosecutor Naveed opposed granting bail to the journalist.
Subsequently, Judge Sipra accepted the bail petition on surety bonds worth Rs10,000.
During proceedings responding to questions by reporters, Jan said that he was kept in “good conditions” during his time in custody. “I was detained in good conditions,” he responded. “I have no complaints.”
In response to another question, he mentioned that he “spoke for the sake of democracy … not for any individual”.
