Pakistan reporter freed following arrest for investigating protest deaths

A Pakistani journalist arrested under anti-terror laws for investigating alleged deaths in protests supporting jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan was released on bail on Saturday, his lawyer said.

This week more than 10,000 marchers flooded Islamabad, defying a ban on public gatherings before being evicted in a sweeping security crackdown.

TV presenter and YouTube journalist Matiullah Jan had been held since late on Wednesday when he was probing reports of deaths among the marchers at Islamabad’s PIMS Hospital, his lawyer Imaan Mazari said.

He appeared before a specialist anti-terrorism court in the capital the following day, accused of drug possession and the attempted murder of an on-duty policeman whilst under the influence.

Media rights groups decried his detention as a government bid to suppress the freedom of the press.

Jan was released around 6pm after “his bail was allowed”, Mazari said. “We know there’s a lot of anger from the establishment for his reporting,” she added.