Inspector-General Islamabad Police Akbar Nasir Khan appeared before the IHC and rejected the allegations that the PTI leader was tortured in police custody.
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-August 18th, 2022) Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday gave permission to PTI leader Shahbaz Gill's lawyers to meet him at the facility where he is undergoing medical treatment.
IHC Acting Chief Justice Amir Farooq passed the order while hearing the plea of lawyers of Shahbaz Gill challenging decision regarding physical remand of their client.
The petition came after the Gill's lawyers were barred from meeting him at hospital.
On Wednesday, a district and sessions court allowed 48 hours physical remand of Gill into the police custody.
Just after extension in physical remand, PTI leader's condition started to deteriorate and then he was shifted to the Pakistan Institute Of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital from Adiala Jail.
A four-member medical board also unanimously noted that Gill needs to be monitored further and assessed by cardiologists and pulmonologists.
The initial reports said that he was facing problem in breathing.
According to the medical board, Gill "is a known case of asthma since childhood and had been on inhaled bronchodilators when required, now presented with shortness of breath, body aches, including left shoulder, back, neck, fight gluteal region and left-sided chest pain.
Earlier today, Inspector-General Islamabad Police Akbar Nasir Khan appeared before the IHC and rejected the allegations that the PTI leader was tortured in police custody.
Advocate General Islamabad Barrister Jahangir Jadoon, who was present at the IHC hearing to assist the court, also noted that Gill had initially refused to undergo a medical examination.
"There is hue and cry that [Gill] was tortured. So is this all a hype created by the media, or is there any truth to it? We have to find this out," Justice Farooq said.
Justice Farooq asked whether Gill informed the magistrate at the district and sessions court that he was tortured.
In response, Special Prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi told the judge that the PTI leader did no such thing.
"So where is the petitioner now?" Justice Farooq asked.
At this, Gill's counsel Faisal Chaudhry said that Gill was currently at PIMS where he was unconscious.
Chaudhry chided the special prosecutor and told him that he should not be issuing statements on behalf of the jail administration.
The judge, in response, told Chaudhry that his client's remand case was being heard only because he was a political personality, otherwise, there are several similar cases which aren't taken up at the high court.
The judge then asked IG Islamabad what steps would he take next amid the allegations that the PTI leader was tortured.
"We have no trust on them," said the Gill's lawyers about the police officer. At this, Justice Farooq asked them to refrain from saying things at once as it was not a "circus".
The judge then issued a show-cause notice to Adiala Jail administration taking him into custody later than the ordered time. He also asked IG Islamabad to submit a detailed report regarding the controversy that took place at Adiala Jail over Gill's custody.
The judge also allowed the request of Gill's lawyers.
