ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secretary general Asad Umar on Wednesday said that the sole reason behind seeking further physical remand of incarcerated party leader Shahbaz Gill by the police is nothing but to pressure him to record a baseless statement against party chairman Imran Khan.
Speaking at a presser along with senior PTI leaders Pervez Khattak and Asad Qaiser, he called upon the courts to ensure no further torture on Gill as he had been badly tortured by the police when given a physical remand shortly after his arrest.
“We urge the court to make sure that the police will no more torture him like it did before. His whereabouts should be known and he be allowed to meet the visitors as he is not afraid of any further questioning, but his constitutional rights must be ensured,” he maintained.
He contended that proper way to investigate him is to ask questions before the court, adding the police want to record his statement under duress against party chairman Imran Khan through torture in dark prison cells where nobody is allowed to go.
He also lambasted defence minister Khawaja Asif for accusing PTI of running a malicious campaign against the military in wake a helicopter crash which resulted in killing of senior military officers including Lt Gen Sarfaraz Ali.
He said that PML-N leader must stop the propaganda as the real face of PML-N has already been exposed before the people, adding all its malicious campaign to malign PTI did not pay off.
“This is shocking to hear from a man [Asif] who has a track record of accusing the military by saying “Pakistan army devoured the flush from the thick skin of masses” is now the defence minister and is accusing us of not being patriots,” he lamented.
He accused the Islamabad Police of misleading the court that it is yet to recover Gill’s cell phone, as the fact is that it had confiscated the phone on the spot at the time of his arrest. He questioned if the cell phone and the statement of Gill are available, why the police is hell-bent to get further physical remand.
He condemned that the police torture on Gill shortly after his arrest, saying he was badly tortured in police custody which he also brought in the notice of the court.
Referring to a meeting with Gill in Adiala jail, he said that the party stands by Gill and all legal assistance would be provided to him.
To a question, he said that PTI chief will not appear before Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as the authority could not hear matters pertaining to election commission.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022