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  "path": "/news/1974359/substance-recovered-from-matiullah-jan-not-ice-ihc-told-during-hearing-of-narcotics-and-terrorism-case-against-journalist",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-19T10:44:24.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.dawn.com",
  "tags": [
    "Pakistan",
    "case",
    "registered",
    "alleged deaths",
    "_law enforcement action_",
    "rejected",
    "Advocate Imaan Mazari and Advocate Hadi",
    "convicted",
    "sparking outrage",
    "two-day physical remand",
    "_overturned_",
    "released",
    "set to be indicted",
    "issued",
    "_Control of Narcotic Substances Act (CNSA) 1997_",
    "_Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997_",
    "_Pakistan Penal Code_"
  ],
  "textContent": "ISLAMABAD: In a dramatic development in the narcotics and terrorism case against senior journalist Matiullah Jan, a forensic report submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday revealed that the substance allegedly recovered from him was not a prohibited drug.\n\nThe case — registered at Margalla Police Station on Nov 28, 2024 — had accused the journalist of snatching a government-issued rifle, hitting a vehicle at a police barrier and possessing narcotics.\n\nInitiation of legal proceedings against Jan drew strong criticism from journalist bodies and rights groups, who maintained that he was being targeted for investigating reports of alleged deaths during _law enforcement action_ against PTI protesters in November 2024.\n\nOn Thursday, a division bench comprising Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas heard the matter in a packed IHC courtroom. During the hearing, the Islamabad police placed on record a laboratory report prepared by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency.\n\nAccording to the forensic analysis, the material allegedly recovered from the journalist did not contain methamphetamine — commonly known as “ice”.\n\nThe courtroom was filled with members of the legal fraternity, political workers and journalists expressing solidarity with Jan.\n\nWhen former senator Farhatullah Babar was spotted in the courtroom, Justice Tahir inquired about his presence. Babar responded that he had come to show support for the senior journalist.\n\nAdvocate Rai Hanif Rahi informed the bench that lawyers had appeared in solidarity, while journalist Saqib Bashir submitted that the case had been pursued “as if Matiullah Jan were a drug dealer”.\n\nThe advocate further apprised the court that the matter had been fixed before the trial court for framing of charges.\n\nObserving that the forensic findings carried significant legal implications, the bench questioned whether narcotics-related charges could be sustained in the absence of a prohibited substance.\n\nThe judges remarked that an appropriate order would be passed and subsequently referred the matter back to the trial court for further proceedings.\n\nA day ago, an Islamabad ATC had rejected Jan’s application challenging the jurisdiction of the court and fixed February 19 (today) as the date for framing of charges.\n\n## ‘Allegations proven false’\n\nIn a post on X after the hearing, Jan said the allegations against him of “smuggling narcotics have been proven false”.\n\nHe highlighted that the PFSA report presented before the court “revealed that the substance allegedly recovered from me was not narcotics or ice”.\n\nAccording to the journalist, the IHC bench asked the prosecution counsel how charges could be framed against Jan in light of the lab report. The court then referred the case to the trial court and directed the state to submit a supplementary charge-sheet, he added.\n\n“On this occasion, in my legal team, I am first grateful to Advocate Imaan Mazari and Advocate Hadi for giving me their full support, who stood by me fully from my arrest until the case was made,” Jan said.\n\n“May Allah Almighty grant them release,” he added, referring to the lawyer couple who were convicted in January over controversial social media posts, with their sentencing sparking outrage among rights bodies.\n\n“After that, my current legal team — Advocate Ali Ashfaq, Barrister Abdul Qadeer, Barrister Ahad, Advocate Fayyaz, and my younger brother Advocate Shahid Akbar Abbasi — gave me their full support from the trial to the high court and are still standing with me,” Jan said.\n\nHe stated that Barrister Qadeer was representing him in the IHC.\n\n“Finally, thanks to those government and non-government politicians who, immediately after the registration of this fake case, openly declared it wrong and fabricated. By the way, thanks to the lab folks too,” he jested.\n\n> \n\n## The case\n\nOn Nov 28, 2024, Jan’s son had posted on X about his father being “abducted from the parking” of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad by “unmarked abductors in an unmarked vehicle”.\n\nAuthorities later the same day confirmed he had been booked in a first information report (FIR), which claimed that Jan was found possessing 246 grams of narcotic methamphetamine (crystal meth) when his vehicle was stopped at E-9 in the federal capital. The case was registered at 3:20am, nearly an hour after the alleged incident took place.\n\nJan was initially sent on a two-day physical remand in police custody by an Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). However, the next day, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) _overturned_ that decision and sent him to judicial custody.\n\nOn Nov 30, 2024, the journalist was granted bail by the ATC and subsequently released from the Adiala jail.\n\nOn Oct 31, 2025 — the day Jan was set to be indicted — an ATC issued a notice to police on the journalist’s application for the provision of case documents.\n\nThe FIR invoked _Control of Narcotic Substances Act (CNSA) 1997_’s Section 9(2)4, which specifies the punishment for possessing or trafficking “more than 100g and up to 500g” of psychotropic substance.\n\nThe FIR also invoked Sections 7 of the _Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997_ as well as Sections 186 (obstructing public servant), 279 (Rash driving or riding on a public way), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint), 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs50) and 506ii (threat to cause death or grievous hurt) of the _Pakistan Penal Code_.",
  "title": "Substance recovered from Matiullah Jan not ‘ice’, IHC told during hearing of narcotics and terrorism case against journalist"
}