Senior journalist Matiullah Jan has challenged a trial court order in the Islamabad High Court, seeking the dismissal of drug-related charges in a case that also includes allegations of terrorism.
According to court sources, Matiullah Jan filed a petition through his counsel, Barrister Mian Ali Ashfaq, against the order of an anti-terrorism court that refused to drop the narcotics charges from the case. The petition asks the high court to declare the trial court’s order unlawful and to remove the drug charges from the proceedings.
In the petition, Matiullah Jan argued that there is no video recording or CCTV footage to support the alleged recovery of narcotics. He maintained that judgments of higher courts require video evidence in cases involving the recovery of drugs, and the absence of such evidence weakens the prosecution’s case.
The petitioner further stated that the anti-terrorism court failed to properly consider these legal requirements while passing its order.
Two days earlier, the anti-terrorism court had dismissed Matiullah Jan’s request to drop the narcotics charges.
Following that decision, he approached the Islamabad High Court to challenge the trial court’s ruling. The case remains pending before the high court for further hearing.
