Gill confesses to speaking against army

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Chief of Staff of the party chairman Shahbaz Gill on Thursday confessed to giving a statement against the Pakistan Army.

During investigation, Gill told the police that in his view, he did not make the statement contrary to the party policy. He said that he gave a well-thought-out statement.

On Tuesday, the Islamabad Police had arrested PTI senior leader Shahbaz Gill over sedition charges. The city magistrate got a case registered against Shahbaz Gill at the Kohsar Police Station over charges of sedition.

According to the content of the FIR, Shahbaz Gill, while speaking in TV channel show, expressed his views to fulfil an agenda along with his accomplices. Shahbaz Gill’s statement was aimed at inciting a mutiny in the Pakistan Army and hatching a conspiracy against the defence forces.

It is said in the FIR that intention to make such a statement was to create hatred among the masses against the Pakistan Army. Shahbaz Gill tried to create grouping in the army as he attempted to incite the soldiers not to follow the orders of officers. He gave the statement to spread chaos and anarchy in the country and to weaken the army.

According to the FIR, Shahbaz Gill damaged Pakistan’s integrity and by following the agenda of the country’s enemies, committed a heinous crime. According to police sources, Shahbaz Gill revealed more names involved in anti-state and anti-army campaign.

The police sources said that more people related to private TV channel and accomplices of Shahbaz Gill may be arrested. The police sources said that four people are under observation and may be arrested anytime.

Shahbaz Gill will be produced before the court today (Friday) and request to be made to get his physical remand extended. Earlier, Shahbaz Gill was taken to PIMS for medical checkup and no violence was proved against him.

The top bosses of the capital police said that the scope of the case could be extended to the other provinces besides Islamabad. Legal action will be taken against those who are found involved in concealing evidence or erasing proofs of the offence, adding that people are requested not to pay attention to fake news.

Action would also be taken against those who are spreading false news among the people. Islamabad Capital Police will ensure enforcement of law. The Special Investigation Team (SIP), constituted to investigate sedition case registered against Shahbaz Gill conducted a raid at the residence of Izharullah, driver/assistant of Shahbaz Gill to recover mobile phone sets of Gill but faced resistance, police said.

People engaged in the investigation of the sedition case, conducted a raid at the residence of Izharullah at G/7-2 on wee hours of Thursday to collect mobile phone sets from him on the information provided by Gill during the interrogation but the people living in the house including Izharullah, his two brothers, wife Mehreen and others, attacked the police party and ripped up uniforms of the police personnel. Most of the residents, especially male members managed to escape during scuffle.

The police lodged an FIR against the residents of the house under sections 353/186/382/506/147 and 149 PPC. The people who managed to escape were identified as Izharullah, Hizbullah, Sardar Imran Khan and Zafar Iqbal, while the police arrested Mehreen and Nauman and shifted them to the police station.

Meanwhile, sources said the investigation of the sedition case against Shahbaz Gill is taking a new turn as international companies and global personalities have been found involved in providing assistance to former prime minister Imran Khan in foreign funding and money laundering offences.

A top officer engaged in the investigation disclosed that extensive interrogation would be conducted and Gill may be shifted to other cities like Lahore and Karachi. “The range of investigation is being widened according to the evidence.