Acquittal plea in sedition case: Gill moves IHC against sessions court’s verdict

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former SAPM Shahbaz Gill has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and challenged a sessions court’s decision to reject his acquittal plea in a sedition case.

In the petition, the PTI leader prayed to the high court to declare the Islamabad district and sessions court’s ruling null and void and acquit him in the sedition case. Gill has cited the federation as the respondent in the case.

Gill also requested in his petition that the trial court proceedings be halted. He adopted the stance that the prosecution had failed to provide any evidence that could support the indictment. The order of the trial court is a violation of Article 10(A) of the Constitution, he maintained.

A district and sessions court in Islamabad has fixed February 27 for the indictment of Gill in a sedition case while additional sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Supra rejected Gill’s acquittal plea and decided to indict him in the sedition case on February 27.

In this matter, a case was registered against Gill at the Kohsar police station, Islamabad. He was accused of creating a divide in the state institution.

Meanwhile, a single bench of Chief Justice Aamir Farooq turned down the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s plea to issue notice to Senator Azam Swati on a petition seeking cancellation of his bail in the controversial tweets case.

The FIA cybercrime wing on Tuesday filed a petition requesting the Court to cancel Swati’s bail after his another speech, wherein, he made controversial remarks against security institutions during an event in Rawalpindi.

During the hearing, special prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi read out the transcript of Swati’s speech and also submitted a copy of the transcript as well as the CD of his copy.

At this, the chief justice asked him at what stage, the trial of the case against Swati was in the court. Raja replied that the accused has not been indicted in this case so far.

Justice Aamer then said how an accused could be sent to jail again in a single crime. He asked the prosecutor to expedite the case against Swati. At this, the prosecutor requested the court to grant him some time so that he could submit more documents in this connection to satisfy the court.

Accepting his plea, the IHC chief justice deferred the hearing of this case for an indefinite period.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023