Islamabad | October 25, 2025: Senior journalist Matiullah Jan is set to be formally indicted on October 31 in a case involving allegations of drug possession and terrorism, as an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad proceeds with trial preparations.
The ATC, presided over by Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, handed over case documents to Mr Jan on Friday, paving the way for his indictment next week. The case, registered at Margalla Police Station on November 28 last year, accuses the journalist of possessing narcotics, snatching a government-issued rifle, and ramming a vehicle into a police barrier in Sector E-9.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Mr Jan allegedly resisted arrest, damaged property, and attempted to flee before being subdued by law enforcement officials. The case includes charges under Section 9(2)4 of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act (CNSA) for alleged possession of 100 to 500 grams of crystal meth and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) for acts deemed terror-related.
Mr Jan was arrested on November 26, 2024, and initially remanded in police custody before the Islamabad High Court transferred him to judicial custody. He later secured post-arrest bail through his defence counsel, Advocates Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chatha.
Journalist Matiullah Jan to be indicted in drug and terrorism case on Oct 31.
He wrote to the Islamabad IG, alleging abduction and torture before last year’s arrest.https://t.co/bLEyLyiRPJ
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) October 25, 2025
Journalist associations and human rights groups have condemned the charges, calling the case politically motivated and linked to Mr Jan’s reporting on alleged deaths during law enforcement actions against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) protesters.
In a letter to the Inspector General of Islamabad Police, Mr Jan alleged that he and fellow journalist Saqib Bashir were abducted and tortured before the case was registered. He claimed the FIR was fabricated to silence his investigative work.
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Separately, in a related development, the prosecution submitted a 35-page supplementary challan in the “controversial tweet” case against Mr Jan’s lawyers, Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha, before Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka. The defence contested the submission and sought more time to prepare.
The court adjourned the hearing until October 25.
