Court seeks case record in Gill’s bail plea today

Rejects police officers’ plea to adjourn hearing till Monday

ISLAMABAD:

An Islamabad district and sessions court on Friday expressed displeasure over the non-production of case record of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill in the case of inciting mutiny in the military, directing the police to submit it till 12 noon on Saturday (today).

Gill was arrested on August 9 after he made controversial remarks allegedly about the army during an interview with a private news TV channel and has been detained since, amid claims of him being subjected to “torture” and “sexual abuse” during custody.

Additional Judge Tahir Abbas Supra heard the bail plea filed by Gill on Thursday.

Gill’s lawyers Faisal Chaudhry and Sardar Masroof Khan appeared in court. The court inquired where the investigating officer was, “where is the record, and whether the investigating officer has not received notice”.

The police officials present in court replied that the notice was received in the evening and the investigator had left for Karachi in the morning. “The investigating officer has arrested the second accused and the record has been taken to Karachi.”

The judge said, “You have till 10am to submit the record or the IO should appear.”

The police officials replied that they could not come from Karachi so early.

The judge said, “I did not say that the investigation should go to Karachi. Call them, and if they do not come, call the SHO (station house officer).

“If the record does not come, call the SSP and the Islamabad IG.”

The court adjourned the hearing of the case till 10:30am.

When the hearing started again, the police officers requested to adjourn the hearing till Monday, saying that the investigating officer will return on Saturday evening.

The court asked Gill's lawyers to arrange a ticket for the IO.

Gill's lawyers said, “We are ready to give an airline ticket to the investigating officer.”

The court inquired from the police as to how many days did they you want.

The police officers said, “Give us till Monday to present the record.”

The court rejected the police officers’ plea to adjourn the hearing till Monday, ordering them to present the case record to the court in a day, adding that that if the “record is not presented by today (Saturday), it will become a problem for your officers.”