— Islamabad police orders internal inquiry into ‘medieval torture’ claim
ISLAMABAD: Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), demanded an independent probe into the custodial torture of Shahbaz Gill after evidence emerged of detained chief of staff to former prime minister Imran Khan being subjected to sexual abuse in incarceration.
Speaking to the reporters in Islamabad, Chaudhry suggested an “independent panel”, comprising party colleague Shireen Mazari, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Khawaja Saad Rafique from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to achieve the objective.
میری ذاتی رائے میں خواجہ سعد رفیق، مصطفی نواز کھوکھر اور ڈاکٹر شیریں مزاری پرپینل بنا دیں جو ڈاکٹر شہباز گل پر تشدد کی انکوائری کرے اور ملوث لوگوں کو شناخت کر کے کٹہرے میں لائے، اس ہینل پر یہ الزام بھی نہیں لگ سکتا کہ یہ Pro PTI ہے
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) August 20, 2022
These people have a point of view on torture which, he said, is independent of their parties’ narrative. “Therefore, they should be given the responsibility of inquiring about the events.”
“And then the faces of those who tortured [Gill] and those who passed its orders should be brought forward in public,” he said.
Chaudhry also requested the Supreme Court to take notice of the incident.
His demand came hours after the Islamabad police, accused by Gill of inflicting medieval torture on him, is beginning an internal inquiry into the claim, after brushing off the startling claim that the PTI leader was subjected to sexual abuse in detention.
To control the damage, a hurriedly called meeting was held in the capital under the chair of the director general of police headquarters. The meeting was attended by top police officers and investigation officers (IOs) in the case.
Akbar Nasir Khan, the chief of Islamabad police, will supervise the inquiry himself.
Several reports citing sources said the participants of the meeting decided to supervise the food being provided to Gill.
The meeting was called after Gill, who was arrested on treason charges for alleged anti-military remarks, was hospitalised after complaining of breathing difficulties.
Under pressure from members of the public, the police later released a statement on his medical condition, claiming he is medically fit to be questioned.
However, on Friday, Gill appeared briefly before a court in Islamabad, in a wheelchair and using an oxygen tank, after police demanded they be allowed to question him further. The court, however, ordered that he remain in hospital until Monday when his medical documents would be again reviewed.
Shehbaz Gill is being subjected to custodial torture, it is in law that no one should be subjected to torture but this imported government crossed all limits.#ظلم_کا_بازار_بند_کرو pic.twitter.com/uWpSTOHOdB
— S.A.Bukhari(TeamVOP) (@Shazi_Pti5) August 19, 2022
The PTI chair had accused the police of “torture and abuse” but they deny mistreating Gill, insisting that his aide was unwell because he suffers from chronic asthma.
The allegations could not be independently verified by Pakistan Today.
Gill was arrested after appearing earlier this month on private ARY News in Karachi when he allegedly incited troops and officers to mutiny.
During the broadcast, Gill, a known critic of the military, said soldiers and officers should refuse to obey “illegal orders” from the military leadership. He implied the rank and file in the military overwhelmingly supports Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly in April.
After the TV interview, he was arrested and charged with treason, which under the law carries the death penalty. ARY News was taken off air and its broadcasting license was subsequently revoked. The station’s director Ammad Yousaf was briefly arrested but was later released.
— With input from AP
