A district and sessions court on Saturday summoned PTI leader Shahbaz Gill on October 6 in a case against him for inciting rebellion within the army and called on the officers to defy certain orders from the top command during a private TV channel’s bulletin.
The former aide to ousted premier Imran Khan was arrested on August 9. However, he finally got bail from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the case on September 15.
During Saturday’s hearing, prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi appeared before the court while Gill was not present in the courtroom. The police submitted a challan against him.
The court issued a notice to the PTI leader and summoned him for trial in connection with the police challan.
Subsequently, Additional District and Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Supra will hear the case on October 6.
On August 9, the same day when Gill was arrested, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) had issued a show-cause notice to ARY News for airing comments from Gill, that it said were “highly hateful and seditious” remarks tantamount to “incite armed forces towards revolt”.
The notice stated that Gill was invited via a telephonic call for his comments and during his talk with the channel, Gill had alleged that the government was trying to provoke the lower and middle tier of the army against the PTI, saying the families of such “rank and file” support Imran Khan and his party “which is fuelling rage within the government”.
Meanwhile, a case was registered against Gill on charges of sedition and inciting mutiny in the army.
The first information report was registered under Sections 34 (common intention), 109 (abetment), 120 (concealing design to commit offence punishable with imprisonment), 121 (waging war against 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.
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