Senior journalist Matiullah Jan has been released from Adiala Jail after being granted bail in a drug possession case.

His release comes after Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra approved his bail earlier in the day.

The court granted bail on a bond of Rs10,000, and the jail authorities released the journalist after receiving his release orders in the evening. The journalist had been arrested on charges of exporting ice (methamphetamine).

Matiullah Jan has been released
— Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir (@ImaanZHazir) November 30, 2024

During the bail hearing earlier in the day, Matiullah Jan’s legal team, comprising Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha, presented a copy of the Islamabad High Court’s remand suspension order. The ATC judge, while granting bail, expressed his frustration over the conduct of certain journalists, referring to a private TV channel reporter's asking tough questions to the prosecutor outside the court.

"How can you tell the prosecutor outside the court that he earned haram?" the judge questioned. "Where is Azaz Syed, who made the prosecutor's video viral? I was expecting him to apologize today."

The judge remarked, “Journalists have been ruined by appearing on screens.”

The prosecutor, Raja Naveed, opposed the bail application, but the court ruled in favour of the journalist after hearing the arguments.

Matiullah Jan’s arrest in the high-profile case drew significant attention, with many questioning the charges. His release marks a critical development in the ongoing investigation.