Islamabad: A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Friday rejected the Islamabad Police’s request to extend the physical remand of PTI’s Shahbaz Gill. The court then sent him to jail on judicial remand.
PTI leader Shahbaz Gill was arrested by the police on Tuesday on charges of sedition and inciting the public against the state institutions.
On Wednesday, when the police presented Gill in front of Duty Magistrate Umar Bashir, the court, after a brief hearing, granted police a two-day physical remand of Shahbaz Gill and ordered the police to present the PTI leader on Friday (today) after getting him medically examined first.
The Case
Gill was arrested on Tuesday from Banigala chowk for allegedly trying to create a division within the military through the comments he made on a private TV channel.
A sedition case was registered against him at Kohsar Police Station under several sections Pakistan Penal Code, including 124-A (sedition), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot if rioting is committed; if not committed), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups, etc), and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), among others.
On Thursday, Islamabad Police also arrested the wife and a relative of Gill’s driver during a raid on charges of rioting and assault on law enforcers. The police had conducted the raid to recover his phone from his driver’s residence.
Today’s hearing
During today’s hearing, the transcript of Gill’s remarks was read out before the court.
Advocate General Jahangir Jadoon argued that an attempt was made to incite the rank and file of the army against the leadership.
The police said that they wanted to carry out further investigation as they had not yet received Gill’s mobile phone and laptop.
Meanwhile, Shahbaz Gill claimed that he was subjected to torture during police custody and that no medical examination was conducted.
“I cannot even think of speaking against Pakistan’s armed forces. I am a professor, not a criminal.”
Gill also alleged that he was not kept at Kohsar Police Station.
During interrogation, Gill claimed, he was asked about what former prime minister Imran Khan eats.
“I have been asked multiple times that did I make these comments on Imran Khan’s instructions? I have not given any such statement. I’m being subjected to political revenge,” claimed the PTI leader.
