Matiullah Jan booked in fake terror and sedition case after exposing police crackdown

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published last month |  JP Staff Report

ISLAMABAD — Senior journalist and outspoken government critic Matiullah Jan has once again found himself in the crosshairs of the authorities. He has been booked in what journalists and media rights groups are calling a “fabricated case” designed to silence his fearless reporting.

The case, originally registered in November last year, accuses Matiullah of sedition, drug possession, and terrorism charges widely condemned as baseless and politically motivated. Despite the absence of credible evidence, Islamabad police have now submitted a challan (charge sheet) to the court, allegedly relying on manufactured evidence to establish his guilt.

According to journalists familiar with the case, Matiullah’s reporting on the November 26 incident, where he exposed the government’s version of events and provided video evidence suggesting that police fired on protesters at Islamabad’s D-Chowk, is believed to have triggered the state’s retaliation.

Matiullah was abducted by unidentified individuals from the parking lot of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in November last year while investigating the deaths of PTI workers during a government crackdown on protesters. His colleague, journalist Saqib Bashir, who was present at the time, was also briefly detained but later released. Matiullah was released hours later after nationwide outrage from the journalist community and civil society.

Reports suggest that the journalist had earlier questioned the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Health during a visit to PIMS, an exchange that reportedly displeased government circles. Following that, Matiullah faced online harassment campaigns and threats from political activists angered by his investigative reporting on state excesses during the PTI protest crackdown.

Matiullah Jan, known for his uncompromising stance on press freedom and accountability, has long been a vocal critic of government overreach and censorship. His ordeal underscores the increasing risks faced by journalists in Pakistan who challenge official narratives and expose state misconduct.