A top Pakistani court on Wednesday expressed alarm at the abduction of prominent journalist Matiullah Jan, who was later freed, noting that kidnappers wore police uniforms and wanted to “scare” other people too.
The Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the habeas corpus petition against Mr. Jan’s abduction filed by his family on Tuesday. The court took prompt action and ordered Secretary Interior, Commissioner, Islamabad and Inspector General, Islamabad to produce the journalist on Wednesday or personally appear before the court.
Mr. Jan, who is highly critical of the government and the security institutions of the country, was freed on Tuesday, hours after he was abducted.
Chief Justice Minallah noted that CCTV footage showed that some kidnappers were in police uniforms. “Someone has the nerve to do such a thing in police uniforms What impression will the public get that people are roaming around freely in police uniforms,” he said.
