- IHC CJ Athar Minallah directs authorities to release Gill on bail.
- Orders Gill to submit Rs500,000 as surety against his bail.
- Says “no one should be deprived of bail until there is no solid evidence against them.”
Senior PTI leader Shahbaz Gill has finally been granted bail by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) after repeatedly attempting to get released on bail in the sedition case filed against him.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s chief of staff Gill has been in detention since last month when he was arrested after a treason case was filed against him for inciting mutiny within the Pakistan Army through his remarks during a private TV channel show.
The case against Gill is registered under Sections 124-A (sedition), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), and of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Gill had approached the IHC last Friday after his failure to get bail from a trial court despite continuous efforts.
The politician nominated Kohsar Police Station SHO, City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza and others as parties in the plea, stating that he was arrested by Kohsar police on August 9.
Today’s hearing
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah directed the authorities to release Gill on bail after hearing arguments from all of the parties in the case. The court directed Gill to submit Rs500,000 as surety against his bail.
“No one should be deprived of the [right to be released] on bail until there is no solid evidence against them. There wouldn’t be any remedy if the same person turns out to be innocent later,” the court remarked, adding that an investigation must go on but with strong evidence brought to the fore.
Earlier during the hearing, IHC CJ Minallah remarked that the armed forces of Pakistan are not “weak that they would get affected” by irresponsible remarks made by someone.
He, however, made it clear that “Gill’s irresponsible, inappropriate and derogatory remarks cannot be justified in any case.”
Meanwhile, Gill’s lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar reiterated that the case against Gill is based on ill intentions and political victimisation.
He claimed that Gill didn’t address the armed forces in his remark but it was targeted towards the PML-N.
Allegations of torture, sexual abuse
The PTI had been insistent in demanding the party leader’s bail, alleging that he is facing humiliation, torture and sexual abuse in police custody.
Multiple proceedings on pleas seeking and challenging Gill’s physical remand for interrogations have been held with the defence contending that the politician wasn’t physically or mentally fit to undergo physical remand.
Meanwhile, United Kingdom-based international non-governmental organisation for human rights Amnesty International had also expressed concern about the alleged torture being inflicted on Gill during detention.
In a tweet, Amnesty International had called for an immediate and impartial probe into the allegations of torture.
