ISLAMABAD – A district and sessions court in the federal capital on Friday issued orders for fresh medical test of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill after rejecting a police request for eight-day physical remand in sedition case.
While announcing the verdict, duty Judicial Magistrate Raja Farrukh Ali Khan said that the health condition of Gill seemed not good and ordered the authorities to submit new medical report on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Islamabad police brought the PTI leader to the court on a wheelchair from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for hearing in the sedition case.
He was wearing the oxygen mask when he was shifted from the hospital but his mask was missing when he reached the court and a video circulating on social media showed crying him for the oxygen support as he complained of breathing problem.
Upon his request, the court ordered to provide him oxygen mask.
Meanwhile, the police requested an extension of eight days in Gill’s physical remand to complete interrogation in the case.
At this, the court inquired why the police sought for another eight days of Gill’s custody when a two-day remand had already been given.
The first question is whether the police was able to interrogate the suspect in two days, the court said.
“Are the police seeking fresh remand or an extension in the existing remand?” the judge questioned, asking whether the previous two-day remand had even started technically as Gill was in the hospital.
During the hearing, Gill’s lawyer opposed the police plea for physical remand and also raised objection over the medical report.
On the other hand, Islamabad police claimed that the medical board had decaled Shahbaz Gill proper fit in its report.
The political leader is trying to hinder interrogation process by presenting his illness as an excuse, the police said.
فرعونیت اپنے عروج پر #شہباز_گل_کو_رہا_کرو pic.twitter.com/d5gbODc0tO
— Qasim Mehmood (@uppalqasim) August 19, 2022
A medical report by the PIMS Hospital reportedly said that Gill deems fit and rejected claims of torture on his body during police detention.
The report was issued after conducted multiple tests, including coronavirus and X-rays. It said that Gill is absolutely fit but doctors barred the investigation team from interrogation at the hospital.
Earlier this week, a court accepted the police request for two days extension in PTI leader Shahbaz Gill’s physical remand, allowing investigators to complete their probe into the case.
The lower court heard the review petition of Islamabad police in line with the directives of the Islamabad High Court, which was moved by the federal government after physical remand extension plea was turned down by the magistrate.
Shahbaz Gill was detained last Tuesday from the capital a day after making controversial remarks on a private news channel. Gill was booked on various charges including sedition and inciting members of state institutions against the armed forces.
PTI chief Imran Khan has expressed concerns over extension in physical remand of his chief of staff.
Gill is in a fragile state of mental and physical health because of the torture inflicted on him when he was abducted and taken to undisclosed location, he said.
“This is part of conspiracy to target me & PTI by forcibly getting false statements against us similar to what they have been doing against social media activists.This is absolutely unacceptable. We will take all legal & pol actions to counter not only this torture being inflicted upon Shahbaz Gill but also any such extra-Constitutional & extra-legal actions being devised against us,” Khan wrote on Twitter.
Islamabad police get Shahbaz Gill’s custody after hours-long standoff outside Adiala Jail
