Gill’s torturers want to scare us into silence: Imran

ISLAMABAD:

PTI chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday announced that his party would approach the Supreme Court -- a move that had become its regular feature whenever it finds itself in a tight spot -- in connection with the alleged torture on his aide Dr Shahbaz Gill.

He added that the PTI would also file cases against rival parties’ leadership, the federal capital’s top cop and a female judge.

The PTI chief was addressing party workers and supporters at a rally at Islamabad’s F-9 park to express solidarity with Gill, who was arrested for allegedly inciting mutiny in the army through electronic media a few days ago. The PTI has been seeking his early release on bail since then.

The rally was staged by the PTI to express solidarity with Gill and record a protest against, what Imran claimed, the “blatant fascism” prevalent under the “imported regime”.

Imran elaborated that if a case could be registered against his chief of staff, then the PTI would also file cases against everyone including PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and the judge.

The former prime minister, urged the “neutrals” — a tacit reference to the security establishment — to choose wisely and stand with the nation instead of allegedly supporting the incumbent rulers whom he had repeatedly called “thieves” and a “cabal of crooks”.

The PTI chief asked them if they were really neutral, they should stand with the nation, justice and Pakistan instead of “thieves” for the sake of the country.

“I want to tell my neutrals that this is a problem of Pakistan [hence] it’s imperative for you to stand with the people and justice instead of ‘thieves’,” Imran added.

In Gill’s case, Imran claimed, when the PTI had approached the Islamabad police and Adiala jail authorities to inquire who was involved in torturing him, they simply replied that they had received orders from the “top”.

A day earlier, Imran had shocked the nation when he alleged that Gill was sexually abused during detention.
The PTI chief maintained that Gill was tortured under a planned move to terrify people and to convey the message that either accept the slavery of the “cabal of thieves” or face the consequences.

Comparing the current situation of the country with the era of Genghis Khan, he said that Nawaz, Maryam, PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, Fazl and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had made stronger statements as compared with those of Gill. However, he added, that they were spared but Gill -- being an easy prey -- was targeted.

Imran said what happened with Gill was not because of what he said since the coalition leaders in the government had commented much more than that to really damage the security establishment.

Alleging that the rule of law was violated in Gill’s case, he said the PTI would approach the apex court.

“The nation is looking towards it [SC] to uphold the rule of law and the Constitution,” he added.

The PTI chairman claimed whenever police officials were questioned about current events in Gill’s case, they said they were not at fault and were simply following orders from high-ups.

“When I asked the Islamabad police to tell me what you did to Gill, I got an answer that we did nothing, we just followed orders,” he maintained.

Imran alleged that Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry knew that Gill was tortured, but she did not release him on bail. He threatened to take action against the judge and Islamabad IGP.

He further claimed that when his party had tried to take action and register cases against Lahore’s deputy inspector general of police and capital city police officer for their treatment of PTI workers on May 25, the party received telephone calls conveying that the two officials "should not be touched".

The PTI chief said he was seeing that the nation had fully awakened. “It is a decisive time and the nation should smash the idol of fear,” he added.