Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah stated on Friday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shehbaz Gill was faking being tortured and that he was not subjected to abuse of any kind.
Speaking to a private TV channel on telephone, the interior minister said that Imran Khan was lying like always that Gill had been sexually abused.
Sanaullah said that the PTI chairman should file an application if he believed a crime to have been committed.
He further warned PTI leaders of legal action if they tried to enter the Red Zone or Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital.
He added the PTI chairman knew that the verdict of the Toshakhana and foreign funding case was about to come and therefore he was spreading false propaganda.
Islamabad police has also launched an inquiry to investigate claims of torture on Shahbaz Gill. According to media reports, Islamabad High Court (IHC) had ordered the federal capital’s inspector general to submit a report regarding the matter.
Police have also initiated the recording of statements, from doctors, to probe the torture allegations.
A media report citing sources said that Gill, in jail, had complained of difficulty in breathing and poor health due to the alleged torture after which he was shifted to the jail hospital for checkup. Upon the deterioration of his condition, he was shifted to a hospital for a complete medical checkup.
On August 18, PIMS hospital’s board declared him fit. However, when brought to court on August 19, Gill apparently was in tears and complained of breathing problems.
Judicial Magistrate Raja Farrukh Ali Khan had remarked in court on Friday that Shahbaz Gill’s condition was not fine. The court had ordered Gill be shifted to PIMS and had reserved the verdict in the case till Monday.
Imran Khan had also raised questions upon Gill’s alleged torture in police custody, making allegations of sexual abuse.
Before making the claim, he had attempted to visit Gill but was denied a meeting with him. The PTI had later announced rallies in support of the party’s chief of staff.
