Judge orders release of journalist Khalid Jameel, calls tweets historical facts not defamation

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 4 months ago |  JP Staff Report

ISLAMABAD— District Judge Murid Abbas on Saturday ordered the release of senior journalist Khalid Jameel, who had been arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) a day earlier from Islamabad’s Media Town.

Jameel was detained and handcuffed over a series of tweets in which he recounted historical events, including the Kargil conflict, the Indo-Pak wars, and the Siachen standoff. Authorities accused him of “defaming state institutions” through his posts.

During the hearing, prominent journalist Matiullah Jan reported that Judge Abbas invoked Article 19 of Pakistan’s Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression. The judge directed the immediate removal of Jameel’s handcuffs and observed that the journalist’s tweets were based on historical facts rather than slander or defamation.

“The state’s response was not justice, but overreach,” the judge remarked, stressing that criticism or narration of past events cannot be equated with an attack on national security.

Matiullah Jan further noted that the judge’s ruling sends a strong message to superior court judges, calling it “a great lesson in upholding fundamental rights and judicial independence.”

The case has drawn sharp reactions from media rights groups and journalists, who saw Jameel’s arrest as part of a wider crackdown on press freedom in Pakistan under the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

After his release, Khalid Jamil expressed gratitude to all those who had called for his freedom, particularly fellow journalists.

When asked about his night in custody, he replied with resilience: “No matter how dark the night is, it is followed by morning.”

Jamil said that despite political turmoil and mounting challenges, he remains optimistic about Pakistan’s future. “It is because of that hope that we have been given this relief (my release),” he noted.

In a tongue-in-cheek remark, he added that success comes when faith is strong — and when you have “Iman (Mazari) and Hadi with you.” He warmly thanked lawyers Iman Mazari and Hadi for their legal support.

Reflecting on his career, Jamil reminded that he has been in journalism since 1997. “These ups and downs are part of a journalist’s life,” he said, though he acknowledged that pressures have intensified. “There is more intensity in problems and more intensity in repression. There is less tolerance in state institutions.”

Frequent arrests of journalists, Jamil argued, reveal the weakness of the state’s stance: “It shows that the other side is without justification and valid arguments.”