Court reserves decision on Matiullah Jan narcotics charges
JournalismPakistan.com | Published 1 hour ago | JP Staff Report
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An Islamabad court has reserved its decision on journalist Matiullah Jan’s plea to dismiss narcotics charges, following arguments from defense and prosecution during a hearing on Wednesday.Summary
ISLAMABAD — Judge Tahir Abbas Supra of the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court on Wednesday reserved his decision on journalist Matiullah Jan’s request to remove narcotics-related charges from a case registered against him.
The case against Matiullah Jan includes allegations under sections related to narcotics and terrorism laws. His legal team has challenged the inclusion of narcotics charges, arguing they are unsupported by evidence on record.
Defense challenges evidence
During the hearing, Matiullah Jan’s lawyer, Barrister Mian Ali Ashfaq, urged the court to dismiss the narcotics charges, stating there was neither any private witness to the alleged recovery nor any video recording documenting the incident.
In response, Judge Supra questioned whether the defense was asserting that video recording was necessary in narcotics cases and whether the absence of such evidence could undermine prosecution claims.
Journalist credibility and court record
Barrister Ashfaq replied that Matiullah Jan is a senior and credible journalist and pointed out that a sworn statement by court reporter Saqib Bashir forms part of the case record, supporting the defense position.
The prosecutor opposed the request, maintaining that the court had already expressed a prima facie view regarding the narcotics allegations earlier in the proceedings.
Court weighs procedural stage
Judge Supra observed that when the earlier observation was made, the case had not yet reached the stage of framing charges, indicating that procedural considerations remained relevant.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its decision on the application seeking dismissal of the narcotics charges, with an order expected at a later date.
KEY POINTS:
- Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court reserved its ruling on Matiullah Jan’s plea
- Defense argued a lack of witnesses and video evidence for narcotics allegations
- The prosecutor maintained the court had earlier noted a prima facie case
- The judge said earlier remarks were made before the charge-framing stage
- Decision on dropping narcotics charges is pending
PHOTO: Matiullah Jan (YouTube/MJTV)
