ISLAMABAD:The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday granted Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI)’s Leader Shahbaz Gill post-arrest bail in a sedition case registered by the capital’s police.
The court accepted the bail against surety bonds worth Rs 500,000 and ordered to release the accused.
During the hearing, Chief Justice, Athar Minallah asked Gill’s lawyer that how he could justify the statement of the accused to involve armed forces in politics.
The chief justice said that political parties had increased so much hatred and it could be seen in the speech.
He remarked that the institutions were not so weak that it could be affected by someone’s speech but Shahbaz Gill’s irresponsible statement could not be justified in any way.
The court asked whether the government’s permission was taken before registering sedition case.
The chief justice said that whether the spokesperson of the political party did not know that the armed forces had taken an oath for not to interfere in politics.
He remarked that Shahbaz Gill’s statement was irresponsible, inappropriate and defamatory.
” Do you think that such an irresponsible statement can influence the armed forces,” he asked.
The court asked whether a complaint ever filed on behalf of the institutions.
The chief justice questioned that if Shahbaz Gill told anyone to rebel, then tell the court. The court inquired how this charge was made in accordance of the law.
The court said that he was arrested and was inside, then how did he not cooperate.
The court said “PTI imposed draconian law in their government, now you want to apply the same.”
The chief justice said no one should be deprived of bail unless there was concrete material against him.
If the same person turns out to be innocent tomorrow then there could be no compensation for him, he said.
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Shahbaz Gill’s lawyer Salman Safdar said this case was made on political grounds and the investigation had also been completed, adding that the whole case revolved around a speech.
The chief justice stopped the lawyer from talking about politics and instructed him to give arguments on legal points. Shehbaz Gul’s lawyer read the text of the FIR.
On this occasion, Special Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi said that permission was taken.
The prosecutor said there was no need to challenge the order of the trial court.
The prosecutor said that Shahbaz Gill had said this on a news channel, which was being watched by every other citizen of the country.
This was enough to prove the charge, he said.
The prosecutor said that he did not ask one but incited everyone, adding that Shahbaz Gill had not denied his remarks.
He said that Gill’s satellite phone had a lot of sensitive things. The accused did not cooperate during the investigation, he contended.
Rizwan Abbasi said that under Section 131, a case was made against the accused. Shehbaz Gill did not give his original smart phone nor was the driver found.
Salman Safdar said that the institution was not disrespected anywhere in the speech. Specific parts of Shahbaz Gill’s speech were taken to register FIR against him.
The lawyer said that the entire conversation was related to the strategic media cell. He said the trial court stated that 12 out of 13 provisions could not apply in this case.
After listening arguments, the court subsequently granted bail to Shahbaz Gill and ordered to release him.