ISLAMABAD: Shahbaz Gill, chief of staff to former prime minister Imran Khan, is willing to apologise for his remarks criticising the army, his lawyer told a district and sessions court in Islamabad as it resumed hearing on his bail plea in the so-called sedition case on Monday.
On August 9, Gill was arrested from Islamabad a day after making the comments on ARY News. He was subsequently booked on charges of sedition and inciting members of state institutions against the Pakistan Army.
At the outset of the hearing, the Islamabad police presented the case record in court as directed by the judge at the last hearing of his bail plea.
Additional District and Sessions judge Zafar Iqbal resumed the hearing on the bail plea this morning.
During the hearing, Gill’s lawyer Burhan Moazzam asked if he can see the case records submitted in court by inspector Arshad.
The court directed the inspector to show the record to the lawyer. However, prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi objected that they cannot show the supplementary challan of the case.
Later, the court adjourned the hearing shortly.
After the hearing restarted, Gill’s lawyer maintained that the police didn’t show the statement recorded under Section 161.
“The police is showing all statements except for Gill’s,” the lawyer said. At this, the court directed the police to show Gill’s initial statement to the defence lawyer.
In the last hearing, the Islamabad court gave the capital’s police the last chance to submit records pertaining to the sedition case against the PTI leader by Monday with his lawyers terming the delay “unfortunate”.
The police, during that day’s hearing, told the court that the investigation officer — who is in Karachi and has the records — could not be reached and his phone has also been switched off.
Special prosecutor Rizwan Abbas told the court that he wanted to see the records first before he could present his arguments.
At this, Gill’s lawyers said that it was “extremely unfortunate” that the police were delaying the matter.
In response, Additional District and Sessions Judge Tahir Mahmood Supra said that he was giving one “last chance” to the police to present the records by today (Monday).
Currently, the PTI leader is on judicial remand in the two cases which will end on September 7.
