- Marriyum Aurangzeb accuses PTI chairman for disregarding laws.
- Says party is using all tactics to protect Gill from investigation.
- Islamabad Police, Rawalpindi Police argue over Gill’s transfer.
ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb Wednesday accused PTI Chairman Imran Khan of blatantly violating court orders and putting undue pressure on the bureaucracy of Punjab over Shahbaz Gill’s custody.
Speaking to journalists, the information minister said the PTI chairman has disregarded all laws and the party is using every tactic to protect Gill from the investigation.
Sources, citing a document titled ‘Emergency Shifting’ available with Geo News, said that after Gill’s checkup the doctors of the Adiala jail, the authorities concerned were directed to shift the PTI leader to DHQ Hospital Rawalpindi.
Following the directions, Islamabad Police and Rawalpindi Police reached the Adiala jail to shift Gill; however, he refused to go with the former.
The Rawalpindi Police was adamant on shifting Gill to DHQ Hospital while Islamabad Police insisted on transferring the PTI leader to the federal capital as per court orders. Following the argument additional personnel of Islamabad Police were called to the jail.
According to sources in jail, it was learnt that Gill had complained of difficulty in breathing and ill health due to alleged torture after which he was shifted to the jail hospital for a checkup.
Meanwhile, the sources said that Khan had ordered Gill to create an emergency-like situation so that he could be transferred to the hospital.
Jail officials said that prisoners of Adiala jail undergo checkups in DHQ Hospital as the medical team from Islamabad cannot check prisoners of Adiala jail.
Islamabad Police rejects all allegations
Rejecting all allegations leveled against Islamabad Police, the spokesperson said that Gill was not subjected to any kind of violence during physical remand.
The spokesperson further added that Gill underwent regular medical checkups, on the directions of the court and judges, which proves he wasn’t tortured.
Court orders handover of Gill to police for 48 hours
Earlier today, an Islamabad district and sessions court remanded the PTI leader in police custody for 48 hours in its verdict on a review plea seeking Gill’s physical remand in a sedition case.
The court had reserved its verdict earlier in the day after the completion of arguments by all parties.
Imran Khan expresses concern about party leader
The PTI chairman had condemned the sessions court’s decision, saying that he is concerned about Gill being sent into police custody once more.
“Gill is in a fragile state of mental and physical health because of the torture inflicted upon him when he was abducted and taken to an undisclosed location,” Imran wrote on Twitter.
The case
Gill was arrested last Tuesday afternoon from Banigala Chowk in the capital a day after making controversial remarks on a private TV channel. He was subsequently booked on charges of sedition and inciting members of state institutions against the Pakistan Army.
A treason case was registered against him at the Kohsar Police Station under several sections of the 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 riot if rioting be 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.
