ISLAMABAD; Journalist Khalid Jamil, Bureau Chief of Ausaf Broadcast Network (ABN News), was taken into custody by police from his residence in Media Town, Islamabad, Friday afternoon, family sources confirmed.
Jamil, who was previously arrested in September 2023 by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over alleged “anti-state social media posts,” had then faced charges under Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and Section 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
He was granted bail after judicial remand and subsequently acquitted when the court quashed the case in December 2023, ruling that the FIR did not hold.
According to his family, plainclothesmen and official of the Islamabad police entered his home and took him away without sharing any warrant or formal reason. His current whereabouts remain unclear.
The 2023 arrest of Khalid Jamil had sparked widespread condemnation from journalist unions, press freedom watchdogs, and human rights groups, who described the case as an attempt to silence critical voices. Jamil himself had later said he would not quit journalism despite pressure, vowing to “tell the stories that some would rather not be told.”
As of now, there has been no official statement from the Islamabad Police regarding the reasons behind his detention.
