Senior journalist Matiullah Jan, who was reported missing after allegedly being abducted late on Wednesday night, was officially declared arrested by Islamabad police on Thursday morning, following the filing of a formal FIR against him on terrorism charges.
Jan was picked up by unknown individuals along with another journalist, Saqib Bashir, on the night of November 26. However, Bashir was later released, but Matiullah Jan remained missing, according to senior journalist Hamid Mir, who shared a video on X in which Jan's son claimed that his father had been "abducted" from the parking lot of PIMS hospital around 11 pm by "unmarked abductors in an unmarked vehicle."
On Thursday, Islamabad police announced that Jan had been arrested following an alleged confrontation at a security checkpoint in the capital.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed on the complaint of Capital Police Sub-Inspector Asif Ali, the incident occurred on the evening of November 28 when Jan, while driving, was reportedly ordered by police to stop at a checkpoint in E-9. When Jan’s car failed to stop, it collided with a constable, injuring him. After the collision, Jan allegedly seized the officer's government-issued weapon and threatened to shoot him. The FIR also stated that Jan was under the influence of drugs at the time.
This incident comes amid rising tensions in the capital, following Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claims that more than 100 of its workers were killed by police gunfire during a night operation to disperse PTI supporters in the capital. The protesters had gathered to demand the release of PTI founder Imran Khan. However, PIMS hospital denied these claims, stating that no deaths occurred among the protesters. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also dismissed the allegations as "baseless" and criticized PTI for spreading false reports. He clarified that police officers were only equipped with batons, not firearms, and challenged PTI to provide evidence of any fatalities, as no hospitals had reported any deaths.
Meanwhile, several journalists were injured during protests on Tuesday when PTI supporters attempted to forcibly enter the National Press Club (NPC) and media offices in Islamabad. NPC Secretary Nayyar reported that a group of 50 to 60 protesters tried to break through one of the club’s gates. When stopped, the protesters allegedly threatened and harassed the staff. They also attempted to jump over the club’s walls, advanced toward the main gate, and attacked both staff and female journalists.
Elsewhere in Islamabad, several journalists were injured while covering the protests. Nayyar Ali also reported that protesters raided the offices of Aik TV, Samaa TV, and Geo News, taking staff members hostage.