Daily Times

Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Sunday rejected allegations that PTI leader Shahbaz Gill was tortured or sexually abused in police custody and made it clear that the coalition government did not believe in it. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he said PTI Chairman Imran Khan had started propaganda that police tortured Gill during the custody, reports APP. He said the PTI on the behest of Imran Niazi launched a condemnable campaign over the Lasbella incident by leveling heinous allegations against the families and martyrs of the army. e said the PTI leveled such allegations against the state whic h even were not leveled by any enemy state. On August 8, Dr Shahbaz Gill, in continuation of previous allegations, appeared on the television screen with a fixed plan and aired comments against the Pakistan Army on Imran Khan’s agenda. Shahbaz Gill had everything planned with the private television channel, from when they will call him, how long the conversation will run. According to details, on August 9, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Shahbaz Gill over his remarks and Islamabad police arrested him over instigating army officers to not obey the orders of the high command. He said politicians at many times had talked about intervention of the establishment in the politics but not a single person had ever stated that army officers should not obey the orders of the high command. He said any state or institution could never allow anyone to spread such kind of allegations. He said Gill was produced before the judicial magistrate within 24 hours of his arrest and he (Shahbaz) did not utter any word regarding torture and misbehave before the magistrate and media.

On August 11, a medical board examined the health of Dr Shahbaz Gill and declared him fit and did not mention any sign of torture. Gill also did not lodge any complaint about torture before the medical board. On August 12, Shahbaz Gill was sent to jail on judicial remand. “I can confirm as the interior minister that no torture was carried out against Gill during the police custody,” he said and added the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as party always opposed and condemned any kind of torture as it was a clear violation of the Constitution. He said the whole leadership of the PML-N was put behind bars during the tenure of Imran Khan. He said Imran Khan should apologize to the nation for his acts during his tenure.

He said Gill remained in Adiala Jail from August 12 to 17 and he never stated that he was tortured. Terming the PTI’s narrative a drama, he said Gill never stated that he was tortured or sexually abused. He said the whole nation condemned the anti-state propaganda of Imran Khan about the martyrs and due to this campaign PTI was severely damaged.

He said the PTI did not own the statement of Shahbaz Gill and diverting the issue started a new drama of torture. Referring to Saturday’s speech of Imran Khan in which he attacked the Islamabad’s Inspector General (IG), deputy inspector general (DIG) and Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, Rana Sana said a case should be registered against Imran Khan for inciting the public against the state officials who were only fulfilling their duties as per the law. He clarified that the police interrogated Shahbaz Gill over his remarks but there was no torture during ingestions.

The whole drama was launched to divert the attention of the nation from the controversial statements made by Gill as well as the hateful social media campaign against the Lasbela copter crash martyrs. He said Shahbaz Gill did not file any application before any institution, authority or court regarding torture or sexually abuse.

He said the interior ministry had prepared a report on Imran Khan’s speech and sought an opinion from the Law Ministry, Attorney General for Pakistan and the Advocate General Islamabad whether a separate case should be registered or clubbed it with the ongoing case registered against Shahbaz Gill. He made it clear that the government would not allow Imran Khan to divert nation’s attention with the false propaganda. The minister insisted that Gill was being served all meals on time amid proper care.

He accused the PTI of concocting stories as part of “damage control”, adding the government would expose the alleged plot.