-Also grants bail to wife of Shahbaz Gill’s driver
-Imran condemns torture on Gill, cops deny maltreatment
By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court on Friday rejected the police’s request to extend Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill’s physical remand in a sedition case.
The PTI leader was produced before the judicial magistrate Umar Shabbir earlier on Friday upon the completion of his two-day physical remand, with strict security arrangements in place at the court.
Earlier, a medical exam of Gill was also conducted upon the court’s order, a report of which was submitted today in the court by the police.
As Gill was brought before the judge in a packed courtroom, his lawyer asked on what basis was the advocate general present in the room, adding that the government’s interference in the case is clearly evident. Following this, the court directed all individuals not directly involved with the proceedings to vacate the courtroom
It also permitted Gill to meet his legal team along with former information minister Fawad Chaudhry and other PTI leaders.
During the onset of the hearing, the police requested an extension of Gill’s physical remand.
The investigating officer informed the court that the CD of the audio programme where Gill allegedly made anti-army remarks was obtained and the audio evidence matched.
He added that one of Gill’s mobile phones was left behind in the car, while the other was with him.
Meanwhile, PTI Chief Imran Khan has strongly condemned the alleged torture on Shahbaz Gill during his detention wondering at whose behest the latter was being subjected to violence in violation of law and constitution while requesting judiciary to take notice of it.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Imran wrote on Friday. “Strongly condemn the torture being inflicted on Shahbaz Gill. Under what law & under who’s orders is this being done? If he broke any law then he shd be given a fair hearing. But just to salvage imported govt of crooks the Constitution & all laws are being violated with impunity.”
“Judiciary needs to take notice of this. Ary’s news editor was picked up violently late night from his home without warrant & a wife with suckling baby picked up illegally bec her husband worked for Gill. A climate of fear is being spread to make ppl kowtow before cabal of crooks.”
Earlier today, Shahbaz Gill told the local court that he was being subjected to torture by the authorities claiming that his medical report presented by the police in the court was false as he was not taken for any medical examination.
Gill underwent medical examination at the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). A three-member medical conducted the examination and determined that Gill was not tortured while in police custody. Following his arrest and detention at the Banigala police station in Islamabad, PTI leaders had said that Gill was tortured.
However, when The Daily Mail asked the sources at Capital Cops about the name of the medical board and the practicing doctors who did Gill’s medical examination, they did not reply. About the torture claims, however, they refused to lay a finger even on him. They claim that there was no evident mark of torture on the man according to the medical report and that Gill’s human rights were not being violated but the investigation was being done purely on merit and according to the evidence. On the other hand, a court on Friday granted bail to the wife of Shahbaz Gill’s driver, a day after she was arrested following a police raid at their house. The court approved Saira’s bail on the submission of surety bonds of Rs30,000 and order her immediate release. Police on Thursday raided the residence of Shahbaz Gill’s driver to recover the PTI leader’s mobile phone to probe the sedition case filed against him.
Islamabad Police said that by the time they raided Gill’s assistant Izhar s home he had fled but they took his wife and a relative into custody on charges of rioting, assaulting a police party and theft.
