The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday suspended the Anti-Terrorism Court’s decision regarding the two-day physical remand of senior journalist Matiullah Jan.
The journalist has now been shifted to judicial remand.
A division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the petition challenging the Anti-Terrorism Court’s order.
Advocate Riyasat Ali Azad argued that the case against Matiullah Jan was a fabricated story of lies, referring to an affidavit from journalist Saqib Bashir as evidence. The court ruled in favour of the petition and directed that Jan now be placed on judicial remand.
Lawyer Imaan Mazari announced that she would file a bail application today on Matiullah Jan’s behalf. Hearing of the case was postponed until Monday.
Supreme Court bar demands release
The president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Mian Rauf, strongly condemned Matiullah Jan’s arrest, describing the allegations against him as “frivolous and baseless”.
He emphasized the importance of protecting fundamental and human rights as enshrined in the Constitution, and demanded Jan’s immediate release.
