Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill filed an application in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday against the ‘malicious’ sedition case registered against him.
Gill had been arrested last week, on August 9, at Bani Gala Chowk in the federal capital after a video clip of his controversial remarks went viral on social media. He was subsequently booked on charges of inciting mutiny in the military.
According to the petition, the “malicious” case against Gill was filed by the police to showcase their “loyalty” to the incumbent government.
The petition further stated that the case was filed only to “satisfy the political agenda of the government”.
“There is no option but to knock on the door of the high court to seek refuge from oppression,” the petition said, adding that the court should accept the petition for dismissing the case and declare the first information report (FIR) against Gill as null and void.
Shortly after the petition was filed, the IHC scheduled the case for a hearing Tuesday. Separately, the IHC earlier in the day issued a notice to Gill on Jadoon’s request in the case pertaining to the physical remand of the PTI leader.
The AGI had filed a petition in the high court against the sessions court’s decision to reject the request for further physical remand of Gill on charges of inciting rebellion in institutions.
Acting chief justice Amir Farooq heard the petition that had been filed through AGI Jadoon, seeking physical custody of the PTI leader to collect additional evidence in the case and acquire the names of those allegedly behind the offense.
Justice Farooq observed that “one fact is that your [AGI] request for revision was dismissed and the other is that the physical remand has expired”. The judge then invited arguments regarding the non-maintainability of the review petition.
Advocate Raja Rizwan Abbasi referred to the decisions of various courts in his arguments as he made a case for the maintainability of the petition against the judicial magistrate’s decision.
“Are you saying that further physical remand of the accused is necessary?” the court inquired. “What do you require a physical remand for?” the judge questioned.
“Laptop and various other devices have not yet been found, they are to be recovered,” argued the AGI. The court issued a notice to Shahbaz Gill and was adjourned till today (Tuesday).
