PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has condemned torture against his Chief of Staff Dr. Shahbaz Gill who was arrested earlier this week and has sedition charges against him.
Friday, the Islamabad court rejected a police request to extend the physical remand of Shahbaz Gill. It however granted a judicial remand.
During today’s hearing, Shahbaz Gill pulled up his shirt and showed his back to the magistrate and claimed he has been severely tortured and no medical checkup has been done. Needless to say, the notion of Shahbaz Gill being subjected to police brutality was unacceptable to PTI leaders and Chairman Imran Khan.
Read more: PTI condemns harassment of family of Shahbaz Gill’s assistant
“Strongly condemn the torture being inflicted on Shahbaz Gill. Under what law and under whose orders is this being done? If he broke any law then he should be given a fair hearing. But just to salvage imported government of crooks, the constitution and all laws are being violated with impunity,” Imran Khan tweeted.
“Judiciary needs to take notice of this. ARY’s news editor was picked up a violently late night from his home without a warrant and a wife with a suckling baby was picked up illegally because her husband worked for Gill. A climate of fear is being spread to make people kowtow before a cabal of crooks,” the former premier added.
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.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 12, 2022
“I don’t have enough words to condemn the torture of Shahbaz Gill, the marks of torture on Shahbaz’s body are a testimony of this story of cruelty. Now that the remand has been rejected, Shahbaz is not being sent to jail, but is still in custody. Now a new conspiracy is being hatched,” PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry tweeted.
میرے ہاس الفاظ نہیں ہیں کہ میں شہباز گل پر ہونیوالے تشدد کی مذمت کر سکوں شہباز کے جسم پر تشدد کے نشان ظلم کی اس داستان کی گواہی ہیں، اب جب ریمانڈ مسترد ہو گیا ہے شہباز کو جیل نہیں بھیجا رہا بلکہ ابھی تک منشی خانے میں ہے، اب نئ سازش سوچی جا رہی ہے
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) August 12, 2022
PTI to take action against police?
Meanwhile, PTI Spokesperson on legal issues Maleeka Ali Bokhari said PTI should consider leveling charges against the Islamabad Capital police (ICT).
“We should immediately consider looking at the charges that can be leveled against ICT police for the torture of Shahbaz Gill and his driver’s wife and her family. The Investigating Officer, in this case, presented a fake medical report,” Maleeka Ali Bokhari tweeted.
@faisal_fareed thank you for being a Sterling lawyer 👏 champ ⭐
we should immediately consider looking at the charges that can be levelled against ICT police for torture of Shahbaz Gill & his driver's wife + her family. The IO in this case presented a fake medical report.— Maleeka Ali Bokhari (@MalBokhari) August 12, 2022
Shahbaz 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.
Read more: Islamabad police defend raid at house of Shahbaz Gill’s driver
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.