Pakistan journalist investigating casualties during recent protests charged with terrorism

Srinagar, Nov 28: Pakistan's establishment has fallen to a new low by charging a journalist with terrorism for merely investigating the casualties that took place during the recent massive protests demanding the release of incarcerated Ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. Matiullah Jan was detained on Wednesday night, his lawyer and a colleague said.

Jan, known for his criticism of the military's influence in politics, had recently aired a TV segment where he presented hospital records disputing government claims that live ammunition had not been used against protesters or that anyone had been killed during the protest.

Hours after the broadcast, Jan and his colleague, Saqib Bashir, were abducted by men in black uniforms from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, Hindustan Times reported.

The two were blindfolded and forcibly taken away while gathering information on protest casualties. Bashir was later released, but Jan remained in custody, with his family calling for his release.

Jan's lawyer, Imaan Mazari, denied the charges of terrorism, drug trafficking, and assaulting police officers, calling them "baseless." On Thursday morning, Jan's family was allowed to visit him in police custody, though authorities did not respond to requests for comment.

Jan had also questioned the official claim that some security officers had been run over by protesters' vehicles, instead supporting the PTI party’s assertion that dozens of protesters had been shot, with the death toll ranging from eight to forty.

The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed strong concern over Jan’s abduction and demanded his immediate release. This is not Jan's first detention; he was previously abducted for 12 hours in 2020 during Khan's tenure as prime minister.