PTI’s Shahbaz Gill remanded in police custody on sedition charges

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: A court in the federal capital on Wednesday granted police two-day physical remand of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill a day after his arrest on the charges of sedition and public incitement against state institutions.

Islamabad police took Gill – PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s chief of staff – into custody on Tuesday afternoon from Bani Gala Chowk. The arrest came after Islamabad’s Kohsar Police Station registered first information reports (FIRs) against Gill for alleged controversial remarks against sensitive institutions.

In a written order, the court said it was necessary to grant physical remand of the accused due to the seriousness of allegations. The court further said it was also mandatory to conduct forensic test of the recorded voice of the accused.

The judge also ordered the police to conduct Shahbaz Gill’s medical analysis and produce him again after completing investigation within two days.

Earlier, the Islamabad Police produced Shahbaz Gill before the court of duty magistrate Umar Bashir and requested the judge to grant a 14-day physical remand.

The police adopted the stance it had to recover the relevant draft from the accused and investigate the matter pertaining to his controversial statement.

However, Gill’s advocate Faisal Chaudhry opposed the request of physical remand. He said his client had not spoken during the TV programme on the consent of anyone else. The court, however, granted the police a two-day remand of Shahbaz Gill.

Islamabad’s Kohsar Police Station had registered first information reports (FIRs) against Shahbaz Gill for alleged controversial remarks against sensitive institutions of the country. The case has been registered under Sections 124-A (sedition), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), and of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Gill has been accused of spreading chaos, inciting people against the state along with other serious allegations. Shahbaz Gill was arrested on Tuesday by the Islamabad Police.

In another development, the Islamabad Police has constituted a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), to be led by the SSP-Investigation, to probe the allegations lodged against Shahbaz Gill.

Other members of the team include SDPO Kohsar, SHO Kohsar police, and Sub-Inspector Talat Mehmood who would serve as the principal investigating officer, said a notice issued here by the office of DIG (Operations) Islamabad. The team is bound to submit its findings to the deputy chief of Islamabad police within seven days.

After Shahbaz Gill’s arrest, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Tuesday the PTI leader was arrested “in accordance with the law” on charges for inciting public against state institutions. “Shahbaz Gill had made statements against the institutions in an attempt to create hatred among its personnel and inciting them towards revolt,” he told a news conference.

The minister maintained: “Following Lasbela helicopter crash, a conspiracy was hatched against the state institutions after a meeting presided over by the PTI chief.” He accused Shahbaz Gill and Fawad Chaudhry of promoting a narrative against institutions in collaboration with a private news channel.

Sanaullah said fake cases were registered against the PML-N during the PTI tenure, but the present government was abiding by law and the Constitution.