Nationwide rallies to slam Gill’s ‘sexual abuse’: Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan Friday announced nationwide rallies to show solidarity with his chief of staff, Shahbaz Gill after the former premier claimed his party leader faced “sexual abuse” in police custody.

“I will lead a rally in Islamabad tomorrow [...] and rallies will be held in all divisional headquarters across the country,” the PTI chairman told journalists here. Imran’s brief presser came after he was barred from meeting Gill at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), reports Geo.

Despite the police’s demand to extend Gill’s remand in the sedition case, a district and sessions court earlier in the day ordered that to send him to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for reassessment of his health.

PTI leaders have demanded the release of Gill from police custody and repeatedly claimed that he was tortured. Amnesty International has also raised concerns over reports regarding the PTI leader.

Gill is currently under treatment at the PIMS after his health reportedly deteriorated at the Adiala Jail. Subsequently, a medical board was formed to determine his condition.

The board recommended several tests and X-rays for the PTI leader. The results showed that there were no abnormalities and his health was fine. Meanwhile, in a series of tweets earlier, the PTI chairman demanded justice for his chief of staff and claimed that he was sexually abused while in police custody.

“All the pictures and videos show clearly Gill was tortured both mentally and physically, including sexual abuse — most too gruesome to relate,” the PTI chairman said in a series of tweets. The PTI chairman said the police humiliated Gill for breaking him down and that he now had detailed information about the events regarding Gill’s episode.

“ICT police say it did not inflict any torture. So my question is: Who tortured Gill?” Khan asked. The PTI chairman added that there was a general perception in the public at large and in “our minds too as to who could have carried out the gruesome torture”.

“Remember the public will react. We will leave no stone unturned to find out those responsible and bring them to justice,” he added. Reacting to Khan’s visit, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed that the PTI leader was “addicted” to lying.

“Khan did not have the court order, which is a prerequisite to meet Gill. He will only be allowed if he has the court order,” she said, urging him to stop “creating a ruckus”. The information minister recalled that PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz met her father and party supremo Nawaz Sharif after the court approval.

She said Khan wanted to subjugate the Punjab chief minister and Lahore High Court. “He has been levelling allegations for the last 22 years,” Marriyum said. She said Gill was medically fit according to the board, adding, “A team of 13 doctors cannot lie”.

Meanwhile, a district and sessions court Friday ordered the police to send Shahbaz Gill to the PIMS for reassessment of his health. “Shahbaz Gill’s condition is not fine,” the court remarked while announcing the verdict reserved by duty judge Judicial Magistrate Raja Farrukh Ali Khan.

The authorities have been directed to be keep him in PIMS till Monday. Gill was presented before the court early morning. He was escorted by the police to court in a wheelchair from the PIMS after being deemed “fit” by a medical board. Strict security arrangements were in place outside the court.

At the outset of the hearing, Gill pleaded to the court to return his oxygen mask, complaining that it was snatched while he was being escorted to the courtroom. “For God’s sake, give me my mask back,” he said.

At this, the judge asked him if he intended to stay, to which Gill said he will if his mask was provided to him. Later, an oxygen cylinder was also brought to the court.

The police requested an extension of eight days in Gill’s physical remand. At this, the court inquired why the police were requesting for another eight days of Gill’s custody when a two-day remand had already been granted.

The first question is whether the police were able to investigate in two days, the court said. “Are the police seeking a new remand or an extension in the existing remand?” the judge questioned.

Giving his arguments, special prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi said that the investigation officer was supposed to take care of the accused’s health if the court had granted a remand. “It is written nowhere that physical remand cannot be granted if the accused is unwell,” he said, adding that the IO could have the accused undergo a medical examination without a court’s order.

However, Gill’s lawyer opposed the request for extension in Gill’s remand. “The accused is pretending to be sick and wants to hinder the investigations through this excuse but this cannot come in the way of law,” the Islamabad Capital Territory Police said in a statement issued on Twitter.

Separately, the Islamabad High Court reserved its verdict on the admissibility of a plea seeking the formation of a board for Gill’s medical examination. The PTI had filed a miscellaneous plea in the IHC on Thursday for formation of a judicial commission to probe alleged “mental and physical” torture inflicted on him during remand. The plea requested that Gill be allowed to get treatment from wherever he wants.