Court adjourns hearing of sedition case against Gill

F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: A local court in Islamabad has adjourned the proceedings to indict PTI senior leader Shahbaz Gill in a sedition case filed against him till December 3.
Additional Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas heard the case and public prosecutor Raja Rizwan and Gill’s lawyer Burhan Moazzam were present in the court. Two petitions were also filed on behalf of the PTI leader in the court. During the hearing, the public prosecutor said that he is ready to present arguments on both petitions today. Gill’s lawyer said that it is important to know who are the suspects for a transparent trial.
He added that there are seven to eight more suspects, however, we do not know who they are. I want the list of the suspects so that we know who are they. At this, Abbasi said that two suspects are appearing before the court. The judge remarked that the prosecutor has maintained that there are no other suspects apart from these two.
Gill’s lawyer requested the court to postpone the hearing of the case, but the prosecutor asked the court to set the next hearing soon. Gill was taken into custody on August 9 for inciting mutiny within the Pakistan Army through his remarks during a private TV channel show.
He was booked in a sedition and arms recovery case in August and stayed in detention for over a month. He, however, finally got bail from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the sedition case on September 15, after repeatedly attempting to get released. The case against Gill is registered at Kohsar Police Station, under Sections 124-A (sedition), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), and of the Pakistan Penal Code.
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. While Gill was in police custody, the PTI had repeatedly alleged that he was “sexually assaulted”, “tortured”, and “stripped-naked”. However, the authorities completely denied the claims.