Islamabad court rehears plea for Shahbaz Gill's judicial remand in sedition case

• Sessions court takes up review plea per order of Islamabad High Court.
• Special prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi maintains "Gill is telling lies".
• Says more interrogation and polygraph test required in case.

---

An Islamabad district and sessions court on Wednesday took up the review plea seeking the judicial remand of PTI senior leader Shahbaz Gill in a sedition case filed against him, as per the orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The IHC had directed the sessions court judge to rehear the case over the government's plea challenging the dismissal of Gill's physical remand by the duty magistrate. Gill's lawyers Salman Safdar and Faisal Chaudhry appeared in court, while judge Zeba Chaudhry is hearing the plea.

At the outset of the hearing, Special Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi informed the court that the judicial magistrate remanded Gill into police custody for two days but the investigation officer requested for an extension in the remand.
He said that the duty magistrate should have considered all aspects of the matter but he rejected the request. "How did he [magistrate] take Gill's statement for the final statement?" he asked. Abbasi maintained that a remand of at least 10 days is granted in ordinary cases while this is a case of criminal conspiracy. He contended that the accused PTI leader is telling lies again and again and, therefore, further interrogation and a polygraph test is required. The special prosecutor further stated that Gill has already confessed that his driver has one of his mobile phones. "The IO clearly wrote in the plea that it's not just about the recovery [of the phone] but there are other aspects that need to be investigated," he said.

The case

Gill was arrested last Tuesday afternoon 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. A treason case was registered against him at the Kohsar Police Station under several sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including 124-A (sedition), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot if rioting be committed; if not committed), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups, etc), and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), among others.

More to follow...

Source link https://www.news.qm.com.pk/islamabad-court-rehears-plea-for-shahbaz-gills-judicial-remand-in-sedition-case/?feed_id=180941