Sedition case: Islamabad court to decide Shahbaz Gill’s bail plea tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Monday stated that it would decide the petition seeking interim bail of PTI’s incarcerated leader Shahbaz Gill in a sedition case filed against him on Tuesday (tomorrow) at 11 am.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal heard the case, where the PTI leader's counsel told the court that Gill is ready to tender an apology to clear the misunderstanding in a sedition case.

On August 9, Gill was arrested 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.

At the outset of today’s hearing, Inspector Rashid appeared before the court along with the records pertaining to the sedition case against Gill.

Burhan Moazzam, Gill’s counsel requested the court for the record and evidence or testimonies against his client.

At this, the court ordered the police to share the record with Gill’s counsel.

The police allowed Gill’s lawyer to see the record, however, prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi asked the court to restrict the lawyers from taking photos of the papers.

“We will share records (with the suspect’s lawyers) but we cannot show them supplementary,” argued the prosecutor.

Approving his plea, the judge ordered the police to share the records with Gill’s counsel and suspended the hearing for a break till 11 am today.

As the court resumed hearing after the break, Gill’s counsel complained that the police were not sharing his client’s statement recorded under Section 161 of the criminal procedure code by the investigation officer.

His lawyer said that plaintiff, a city magistrate, accused Gill of sedition, adding that five more people were booked in the case later.

“My client did not even think of sedition,” says Moazzam, adding that the case had been filed after taking different points from the transcript.

“There is a misunderstanding somewhere in this entire statement,” his counsel said, adding that his client is ready to address the misunderstanding.

“Shahbaz Gill is ready to tender an apology to clear the misunderstanding,” his counsel apprised the court and asked who gave them the right to file the sedition case by taking different points.

Court gave police last chance to submit records

In the last hearing, the Islamabad court gave the capital's police the last chance to submit records pertaining to the sedition case against the PTI leader by Monday with his lawyers terming the delay "unfortunate".

The police, during that day's hearing, told the court that the investigation officer — who is in Karachi and has the records — could not be reached and his phone has also been switched off.

Special prosecutor Rizwan Abbas told the court that he wanted to see the records first before he could present his arguments.

At this, Gill's lawyers said that it was "extremely unfortunate" that the police were delaying the matter.

In response, Additional District and Sessions Judge Tahir Mahmood Supra said that he was giving one "last chance" to the police to present the records by Monday.

The hearing of the case was then adjourned till Monday (today).

Multiple charges 

Gill is facing serious charges after he allegedly incited mutiny within the military while speaking on a private TV channel earlier this month.

He was already facing sedition charges, but the Islamabad police had also registered a case against the PTI leader over possession of an illegal weapon.

He was booked in the case after police raided the incarcerated PTI leader's room in Parliament Lodges last week — where they recovered weapons, a satellite phone, and foreign currency.

The PTI, since Gill's arrest, has been repeatedly alleging that he has been tortured, humiliated, and sexually assaulted in police custody, however, the police and government deny all claims.

During the raid at his Parliament Lodge's residence also, Gill told journalists that he had been "sexually assaulted".

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has demanded an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the alleged torture of Gill in police custody.

Currently, the PTI leader is on judicial remand in the two cases which will end on September 7.

More to follow...