Gill issued notice for tomorrow in physical remand case

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued on Monday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill a notice for tomorrow's hearing, for the plea challenging the sessions court's dismissal of the prosecution's request to grant an extension in his physical remand.

The notice was issued at the Advocate General Islamabad (AGI) Barrister Jahangir Jadoon’s request after he filed a petition against the sessions court’s decision whereby Gill’s physical remand request was denied to the police.

Acting Chief Justice Amir Farooq is hearing the petition that had been filed through AGI Jadoon, seeking physical custody of the PTI leader to collect additional evidence in the case and acquire the names of those allegedly behind the offense.

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The investigating officer on the case was also presented before the court.

It is pertinent to note that Gill had been arrested last week, on August 9, at Bani Gala Chowk in Islamabad after a video clip of his controversial remarks went viral on social media. He was subsequently booked on charges of inciting mutiny in the military.

At the beginning of proceedings today, AGI Jadoon said that “Shahbaz Gill gave a statement on a TV channel and the government took serious notice and registered a case”.

“Shahbaz Gill’s statement had targeted one of the country’s institutions” the AGI informed the court, adding that “the institution against which the statement was made has sacrificed a lot for this country”.

The court then inquired about the progress of the case, whereupon the AGI informed the court about the sessions court’s decisions.

During the proceedings today, Justice Farooq observed that “one fact is that your [AGI] request for revision was dismissed and the other is that the physical remand has expired”. The judge then invited arguments regarding the non-maintainability of the review petition.

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Advocate Raja Rizwan Abbasi referred to the decisions of various courts in his arguments as he made a case for the maintainability of the petition against the judicial magistrate’s decision.

“Are you saying that further physical remand of the accused is necessary?” the court inquired. “What do you require a physical remand for?” the judge questioned.

“Laptop and various other devices have not yet been found, they are to be recovered,” argued the AGI.

Issuing a notice to Shahbaz Gill, the court was adjourned till tomorrow.

Last week the judicial magistrate had granted police two days physical remand of Shahbaz Gill after he was presented in front of a district and sessions court in Islamabad. However, following the expiration of that remand the court rejected the police’s request for an extension in his remand, and sent him to jail on a judicial remand.