Gill’s room in Parliament Lodges raided

ISLAMABAD: The Capital police raided incarcerated PTI leader Shahbaz Gill’s room in the Parliament Lodges late Monday and recovered a pistol, a satellite phone, and foreign currency, Geo News reported.

The raid was conducted under the supervision of a senior superintendent of police (SSP) and Gill accompanied them in handcuffs. A pistol was recovered during the operation; however, Gill refused its ownership. 

A mobile phone, a satellite phone and USBs were also recovered. Moreover, his wallet, that was missing, was also recovered in which two of his CNICs were also found. Two passports were also seized.

Gill told journalists that he had no clue about how his wallet had been found in the room, claiming that he had left it in the car when he was taken into custody. 

“My wallet was usually carried by my driver and the room from where the pistol has been recovered was in use of my guards,” he said. 

Replying to questions by the journalists, Gill confirmed PTI chief Imran Khan’s claim of being sexually assaulted in police custody. “Yes, I was sexually abused,” he said in response to a question. 

“I see some changes in my room, my passport wasn’t found at its usual place. It hints that somebody had come here during my custody,” he added.

Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed the police to ensure that Shahbaz Gill is not tortured in custody. The PTI had approached the IHC against an extension in his remand, however, Acting IHC Chief Justice Amir Farooq asked police to ensure his safety but did not order his release. In its verdict, which was reserved earlier today, the court asked the federal government and interior secretary to appoint an officer to probe charges of torture. The court also ordered that a retired judge should be appointed as an inquiry officer. It said that an SSP-rank officer should oversee how Gill was treated during his remand and ensure he was not tortured.

In a detailed report submitted to the court, the Islamabad inspector general rejected all allegations levelled against the police and accused Gill of hampering the investigation. The report said that as per jail authorities and experts’ statements at the PIMS hospital, no sign of torture was found on his body. “He was examined by three medical boards and also given an opportunity for a medical examination twice by the ICT administration when he was in jail but he refused,” it added.

The report mentioned that the allegations of physical, mental, and sexual torture in police or jail custody could not be “corroborated by any plausible evidence.” The conduct of Gill to date is not above board and he has put up a show to avoid physical remand, the police report said.

Earlier, a district and sessions court granted a two-day physical remand of Gill in a sedition case after reviewing his medical report. He was presented before the court shortly after being discharged from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

Meanwhile, another video of Shahbaz Gill surfaced Monday morning from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), ahead of a sedition case hearing against him in a district and sessions court. In the video, Gill is seen sitting at a hospital bed — in seemingly the same room as the last video — and drinking juice from a bottle while several medical staff and doctors gather around him, insisting he finished the juice.

Gill, on contrary, doesn’t want to drink it but finishes it on the doctors’ insistence. After it, the doctor asks him to eat a banana as well to get better. He first refuses but then takes it saying, ”You are forcing me to eat it.”

Gill had been taken into custody from Banigala Chowk on August 9 on charges of inciting mutiny among the public against the ranks and files of the army during a TV programme. The PTI contends that he was tortured during police custody.