Web Desk (LTN NEWS): Fawad Chaudhry, a leader of the PTI, said on Saturday that an independent panel made up of former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, PPP’s Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, and PML-Khawaja N’s Saad Rafique should be set up to look into the “torture” of imprisoned party member Shahbaz Gill. The panel should include Shireen Mazari, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar
“These people have an opinion about torture that isn’t based on what their parties say, […] so it should be up to them to find out what happened,” he said.
Gill, who was the chief of staff for the ex-prime minister Imran Khan, was arrested on August 9 after an FIR was filed against him for allegedly inciting mutiny in the armed forces. Since Gill was moved to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences earlier this week because he was having trouble breathing, the authorities and PTI have been at odds over who should keep him in custody.
On Friday, an Islamabad district and sessions court ordered the PTI leader to have a second medical exam. The court also put off giving Gill to the police until Monday, when his two-day physical remand would be over.
PTI, on the other hand, said that Gill was put through “gruesome torture” behind bars. Yesterday, Imran said in a tweet that the party leader had been “physically, mentally, and sexually tortured.”
On Friday, Imran went to Pims to meet Gill, but the police told him he couldn’t. After that, he told the media that there would be rallies all over the country to show support for his chief of staff.
Chaudhry told reporters today outside the Police Lines Headquarters in the capital that physical or mental torture won’t be allowed under any circumstances.
“Personally, I think—and this is not what my party wants, but what I want—that torture should be looked into by an independent group.
“Then the faces of the people who tortured [Gill] and those who gave the orders should be shown to the public,” he said, asking the Supreme Court to look into what happened.
The leader of the PTI said that it was very important for the highest court to stand up against torture.
He said that the judges of the Islamabad High Court should look at how their magistrates stood up against torture. “Even though there is evidence of torture, you are giving remand. The higher courts don’t think this way. Instead, they believe that torture should be used to find out what happened first.
He thanked the judge in Islamabad for deciding that Gill’s medical reports did not show how sick he was and for ordering that he be sent back to Pims.
“Even though there was pressure from many sides, the judge made a brave decision. Chaudhry said that the higher courts should learn from the lower courts.
He also said that the PML-N wanted Gill to be taken into police custody so they could force him to say bad things about Imran. “They want him to say that Imran Khan really said those things [that were reported by ARY News].”
“So, in this situation, we won’t accept an investigation by the Islamabad police,” the PTI leader said, repeating his call for an independent panel.
He also said that the PTI would not be silent about torture. “Today, we’re going to protest the way Gill has been treated. Imran Khan will hold the main rally in Islamabad, but I want people in all cities to gather in front of the PTI’s divisional headquarters and speak out against this.”
Separately, Dawn said today that the government of Islamabad has denied the PTI permission to hold a rally in the federal capital because Section 144 is in effect in the city. The PTI, on the other hand, didn’t follow the orders, and Chaudhry said the rally will go on as planned.
