Pakistan: Imran Khan vows to file case against Islamabad IG, DIG, magistrate

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief and former prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday vowed that he would file cases against Islamabad’s inspector-general, deputy inspector-general, and female magistrate for torturing Shahbaz Gill, a local media reported.

While addressing the public gathering at Islamabad’s F-9 park, Imran Khan said: “We will not spare the IG and DIG.”

The former prime minister called out Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, who last week had approved Gill’s two-day physical remand at the request of the capital police, and said she too should prepare herself as the case will also be registered against her, Geo News reported.

The PTI took out the rally in Islamabad in support of incarcerated leader Shahbaz Gill, who the party said was subjected to alleged “gruesome torture” in police custody.

He further went on to say that if a case can be registered against Gill, then, Fazlur Rehman, Nawaz Sharif, and Rana Sanaullah will also face judicial proceedings.

“They [coalition government] are trying to scare us by torturing Gill,” he said, adding that this is a “decisive moment” for the people of the country.

Khan maintained that what happened with Gill wasn’t because of what he said since coalition leaders in the government had “said much more than that to really deal damage to the army”.

Imran alleged that Gill was “caught and tortured” to send a message and frighten the people that if he could be broken mentally then anyone could, according to Geo News.

Earlier on Saturday, Khan connected the current situation in Pakistan to the chief of army staff’s appointment and termed it “unfortunate” that everything in the country was happening over one appointment.

In a conversation with social media influencers in the federal capital, the former prime minister said that the army chief should be appointed on the basis of merit.

“A drama begins on the appointment of army chief which does not happen in any part of the world,” said the PTI chief.

Gill was arrested by the police on August 9 after he made controversial remarks against the Pakistan army on television that were deemed as “highly hateful and seditious” by the country’s media authority.

Imran’s close aide was arrested on charges of colluding with a private TV news channel in carrying out anti-state propaganda.

Notably, Pakistan’s regulatory watchdog PEMRA has alleged that the ARY News channel was airing “false, hateful and seditious” content based on “absolute disinformation with a clear and present threat to national security by instigating rebellion within the armed forces”.

• Pakistan