File photo of Shahbaz Gill attending court proceedings
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s former chief of staff, Shahbaz Gill, was on Thursday granted bail by the Islamabad High Court in an ongoing sedition case.
Gill was arrested on Aug. 9 on charges of sedition and inciting the public against state institutions over remarks he gave to private TV channel ARY News. According to the first information report (FIR) registered against the PTI leader, he is being probed under Sections 34 (common intention), 109 (abetment), 120 (concealing design to commit offense punishable with imprisonment), 121 (waging war against the state), 124-A (sedition), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempt to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 153 (provoking to cause riot), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Last week, after being denied bail multiple times from a trial court, Gill approached the IHC for relief. During today’s proceedings, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said no one could be deprived of the right to bail unless there was solid evidence against them. “There wouldn’t be any remedy if the same person turns out to be innocent later,” he said, directing police to continue their investigation but not seek further detention for Gill without necessary evidence.
During the hearing, Minallah claimed the armed forces of Pakistan were not so “weak that they would get affected” by irresponsible remarks made by any individual. However, he stressed, “Gill’s irresponsible, inappropriate and derogatory remarks cannot be justified in any case.”
Gill’s lawyer, meanwhile, maintained that the case against his client was based on ill intentions and political victimization. He claimed Gill had not addressed the armed forces in his remark, and was actually directing them toward the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). This argument, oft-repeated by the PTI, does not match the contents of the remarks Gill gave to ARY News.
After hearing arguments from all parties in the case, the IHC directed Gill to submit Rs. 500,000 as surety to secure his bail.
The PTI has, in the past, alleged that Gill was tortured in custody, with ousted prime minister Khan claiming he had been sexually abused in a public rally. In the same rally, Khan had lashed out at the judge that granted physical remand of Gill to police, for which he is currently facing contempt of court proceedings and a terror case.