JournalismPakistan.com | Published November 29, 2024 at 01:26 pm | JP Staff Report
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ISLAMABAD—The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the abduction and subsequent arrest of senior journalist Matiullah Jan, calling it an attack on press freedom.
Jan was taken from the premises of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad and held in unlawful captivity for hours before being revealed to be in police custody. No formal charges against him were disclosed at the time.
PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Arshad Ansari criticized the incident and called on Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to intervene and ensure Matiullah Jan's immediate release. They highlighted that the journalist was targeted while investigating the death toll from the November 26 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest, which followed his coverage of demonstrations in support of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Saqib Bashir, another journalist abducted alongside Jan, has since been released. Meanwhile, in Lahore, journalist Shakir Awan has also been arrested, adding to concerns about the government's crackdown on the media.
"This is not an isolated incident. Such actions against journalists for simply performing their professional duties are unacceptable," said Butt and Ansari in a joint statement. The PFUJ leaders demanded an end to what they called an illegal and undemocratic practice of targeting media workers.
The union also called for a swift and impartial investigation into the incident, ensuring those responsible are held accountable. They noted with alarm that Jan had previously been abducted in 2020, a case that remains unresolved.
Warning of escalating protests, the PFUJ leadership stated that countrywide demonstrations would follow if Matiullah Jan is not released immediately.
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