ISLAMABAD: A local court hearing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former premier Imran Khan’s Chief of Staff, Dr Shahbaz Gill’s post-arrest bail petition in a sedition case on Friday directed the Islamabad police to produce the record of the case before it on Saturday (today) and if the police failed to do so it would become a problem for the police officers.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Supra, while hearing Gill’s post-arrest bail plea, expressed displeasure over the non-provision of the case record before it. The court directed the police to provide the case record by tomorrow, otherwise, he will summon the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP).
At the start of the hearing, the judge inquired about the investigation officer (IO) and the case record. A police officer informed the court that the police have received the court’s notice in the evening while the IO went to Karachi in the morning.
He further told the court that the IO has gone to Karachi for the arrest of another accused and he had also taken the record with him.
The judge said that he was giving time to the police till 10 am and by that time, either the record should be presented to him or the IO. The police officer told the court that it would not be possible for the IO to reach from Karachi to Islamabad at the given time.
The judge said that he did not say the IO should go to Karachi. Call him or the Station House Officer (SHO). “If the record did not arrive by then, we will call the IGP and the SSP,” the judge said.
The court adjourned the hearing till 10 am and asked the police to provide the record after the break.
After the break, Gill’s lawyer Hafeezullah told the court that if the record does not arrive today, then the court can adjourn the hearing for tomorrow (Saturday).
The judge then asked the police if they had any reservations. The police officer told the court that the IO will arrive from Karachi on Saturday evening and requested the court to adjourn the hearing till Monday.
A police officer told judge Supra that the IO would come back to the capital tomorrow evening and the hearing could take place on Monday.
The judge asked the police, how many days time you require. The police officer requested for one day time and said they would produce the record by Monday. The court rejected the police request and warned that if the case record was not produced by tomorrow then it will become a problem for the officers.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022