ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) sought replies on Thursday from the superintendent and medical officer of Adiala Jail along with other senior police personnel by 3pm in an appeal filed against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill’s physical remand.
Gill, who was arrested by Islamabad police in a sedition case last week, had been handed over to the Islamabad police late on Wednesday after a five-hour high drama at the Adiala jail, following order of the sessions court of the federal capital.
Today, the Acting Chief Justice IHC Amir Farooq was hearing a petition filed against the two additional days’ physical remand that had been granted by the lower court yesterday.
Gill’s lawyers Faisal Chaudhry and Shoaib Shaheen claimed that their client is being tortured during his physical remand.
The IHC summoned IG Islamabad, SSP Investigation and SHO Kohsar as well as the superintendent Adiala and the concerned medical officer along with Gill’s medical records. Notices were also issued to the advocate general and additional attorney general for 3pm today.
Petition against ‘torture’ filed
Furthermore, the PTI leaders Asad Umar and Babar Awan filed a petition in the IHC against Gill’s torture requesting the formation of “a medical board consisting of impartial doctors for Gill’s medical examination”.
Citing media reports of the PTI leader’s ‘physical abuse’ in police custody, the PTI leaders requested that the police be “prevented from taking a confession through pressurising” him.
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The petition also alleged that the “sole purpose” of keeping Gill in police custody was to “torture” him and claimed that his physical and mental condition was “not good; which is a threat to his life”.
Gill’s condition ‘satisfactory’
Meanwhile, the medical report issued by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) today declared Gill’s medical condition as “satisfactory”.
“He does not have any heart problems,” clarified the report.
A medical team of four senior doctors conducted Gill’s medical examination.
According to the report, Gill “has breathing problems and is experiencing pain in the shoulder, neck and the left side of his chest”.
The report also said that Gill has suffered from a “respiratory illness since childhood and uses bronchodilators as needed”.
The doctors also said that “last night’s ECG report was not good”, and his “heart rate was high”. However, it was stated that “sometimes, due to elevated anxiety levels, the heart rate also increases and breathing difficulties are experienced”, while another ECG was also recommended.
The PIMS Medical Board in the report recommended that the accused should be further examined.
The investigating officer submitted the medical report in the court of judicial magistrate of Islamabad.
Yesterday, the police teams of Islamabad and the twin city of Rawalpindi had come face to face, after the Adiala jail authorities showed reluctance to hand over Gill. After several hours of stand-off, the federal government had to call Rangers and Frontier Corps (FC) after which Gill was handed over to Islamabad police.
Earlier, the Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry had given the Islamabad police a 48-hour physical remand of Gill. When the police team reached the prison to take custody of the PTI leader, he had refused to go with the Islamabad police.
Later an ambulance of PIMS Hospital had been called to the Adiala Jail and a team of senior officers of Rawalpindi police had also reached there. The medical superintendent of the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital and senior doctors had also been summoned.
Gill complained that his health had deteriorated due to torture. He had undergone a medical examination at the PIMS Hospital, for which a board comprising five doctors had been formed.