Islamabad court defers Shahbaz Gill's indictment

A district and sessions court of Islamabad deferred on Friday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill's indictment in a sedition case.

Additional Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Supra took up the case proceedings during which Gill appeared before the court in an ambulance on oxygen support.

Last month, a district and sessions court in Islamabad had issued a bailable arrest warrant for Gill upon the PTI leader’s absence and rejected his petition for exemption from personal appearance.

During the hearing today, Gill’s lawyer Burhan Muazzam said his client was present in an ambulance outside the court and could not move because of the oxygen mask.

The court said that it looked like the suspects were trying to buy time, it was reported.

Subsequently, the court adjourned the indictment proceedings against Gill till January 20.

On August 9, Gill was arrested by Islamabad Police outside Banigala Chowk for “making statements against state institutions and inciting the people to rebellion.”

A sedition case was registered against the PTI leader at the Kohsar Police Station, Islamabad. Besides other charges, clauses relating to inciting people against the state institutions and their heads were added in the FIR.

Sedition case: SHC stops police from arresting Shahbaz Gill

Last month, the Sindh High Court (SHC) stopped police from arresting Gill in the case.

The court’s directives were issued during a hearing on the plea filed by the PTI leader which sought to quash the cases registered against him in Karachi.

Gill submitted in the petition that police had registered three cases against him at the Brigade, Surjani Town and Rizvia police stations.

The petitioner pleaded with the court to quash all cases registered against him in Karachi. At which, the SHC bench stopped police from arresting Shahbaz Gill and adjourned the hearing.

The PTI leader also urged the court for an immediate hearing of the plea, which was turned down by the SHC bench.