Islamabad (Web Desk): Pakistani journalist Matiullah Jan was arrested by Islamabad police on Thursday following an alleged confrontation at a security checkpoint in the city.
The incident occurred in the early hours of the day when Jan, driving his vehicle, reportedly refused to stop at a police checkpoint in the E-9 area.
According to an FIR (First Information Report) filed by the authorities, Jan’s vehicle collided with a police constable who was on duty, injuring him in the process.
The police claim that after the collision, Jan allegedly grabbed the officer's firearm and threatened him.
They also suggested that Jan might have been "under the influence" during the incident. Following the altercation, Jan was taken into custody and brought to the Margalla Police Station, where a case was registered against him.
However, human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir raised concerns, stating that Jan was "missing" after his arrest. Mazari-Hazir claimed that when she and others tried to gain access to Jan at the Margalla Police Station, they were initially denied entry. When they were finally allowed to speak to detainees inside, they were told that Jan had been taken away just before their arrival.
In a separate post on X (formerly Twitter), Jan’s son, Abdul Razzaq, alleged that his father had been abducted from the parking lot of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad around 11 pm, by unidentified individuals in an unmarked vehicle.
According to Razzaq, Jan was with journalist Saqib Bashir at the time, and Bashir was briefly detained before being released.
Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed deep concern over the alleged abduction and called for Jan’s immediate release, stressing the need for authorities to ensure his safety and launch a thorough investigation. This incident is particularly troubling given Jan's previous abduction in 2020, which remains unresolved.
Similarly, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the arrest, calling it a deliberate attempt to stifle press freedom and silence critical voices. “This authoritarian tactic to silence journalists must cease,” the HRCP stated.