Wife of Gill’s driver arrested for ‘rioting’

Islamabad police assert raid and arrests were legal

ISLAMABAD:

Islamabad police on Thursday arrested the wife of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill’s driver along with another individual on charges of rioting, assaulting a police party and theft during a raid on the house they were staying in.

The police confirmed in the FIR that the raid was conducted after Gill revealed during the course of interrogation that he had handed over his mobile phone to his driver, Izhar, when he was being arrested. The phone contains considerable matter regarding the case against Gill.

Gill had also shared that Izhar was living at his in-laws’ residence, the FIR added.

The development comes two days after Gill was arrested for sedition and inciting the public against state institutions. At the time of his arrest, his driver was also with him at Banigala Chowk in Islamabad and was allegedly subjected to violence.

On Thursday, following the revelations made by Gill, a special raiding party was constituted and raided the house at 1:40am. “A man and a woman answered the door when the police knocked. The man identified himself as Izharullah while the woman identified herself as his wife, Mehreen,” the FIR said.

However, the raid descended into ruckus after the couple started to create commotion and called five to six more people from inside the house who attacked the police party, put up resistance, began creating a hue and cry and threatened the police party.

"As a result, more people gathered at the scene," the FIR read.

It alleged that while these two people continued resisting, others tore the shirt of a constable, Sajjad Shahid. They also tore buttons off his shirt and snatched his mobile phone and wallet, which contained his ATM card, service card and Rs15,000 cash, the FIR said.

It added that Mehreen and another suspect, Noman, were arrested from the scene while the rest managed to flee because of the dark. Subsequently, a case was registered against all the suspects.

Read Court grants police two-day physical remand of Shahbaz Gill

The FIR was registered on behalf of Sub-Inspector Talat Mahmood of Kohsar police station under Sections 149 (every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 147 (punishment for rioting), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to commit the theft), 186 (obstructing public servant in the discharge of public functions) and (use of assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

In the FIR, police identified some of the suspects who fled as Hazbullah, Izaharullah, Sardar Imran Khan and Zafar Iqbal.

Raid on Gill's driver's house 'legal'

Meanwhile, amid condemnations, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police stated that the raid conducted on PTI leader Shahbaz Gill’s driver’s house was ‘legal’.

In a tweet, the Islamabad police stated that they were collecting “all evidence” related to the case.

“Wherever legal action is required, the police will do its job," they said, adding that the scope of this particular case could be extended to other provinces beyond Islamabad.

According to the police, legal action will be taken against those who were found to be “concealing evidence or erasing evidence”.

Advising people to not pay attention to fake news, they claimed that action will also be taken against those spreading “false news and incitement” among the people.

“Islamabad Capital Police will ensure the enforcement of the law,” it maintained.

Imran condemns 'fascist illegal abduction'

Strongly condemning the arrest of the director of news of a private TV channel and the wife of Shahbaz Gill's assistant, PTI Chairman Imran Khan termed the arrests “fascist illegal abductions”.

He asked the legal community if there were no "fundamental rights anymore".

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Imran maintained that the "imported government” was using fear and terror against the media and the people to "gain acceptance after being routed in Punjab”.

He added that such actions are "further destabilising [the] country" and the only solution for the issues facing Pakistan is "fair and free elections".