IHC grants post-arrest bail to Shahbaz Gill

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday accepted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill’s post-arrest bail plea in the sedition case registered against him, ARY News reported.

The hearing of the sedition case against PTI leader Shahbaz Gill was held in the IHC on Thursday under Chief Justice Athar Minallah. CJ Athar Minallah granted bail to the PTI leader after hearing arguments from both parties.

Shahbaz Gill’s attorney Salman Safdar argued that some parts of the PTI leader’s talk are being used against him out of context. Gill only talked about the government and a political party, the complainant is not the affected party in the case, he added.

Salman pointed the court toward the Emaan Mazari case and reminded that the court dismissed that case, to which the CJ said that it was a different case and that he should talk about their case only. 11 sections were added to the FIR so that Shahbaz is booked in one of them. Gill was charged under 11 sections but the trial court assigned it only one number, practically nullifying the case.

The CJ said that Shahbaz Gill’s irresponsible statement can not be justified in any manner. The PTI government also used ploys such as sedition cases against their political enemies, he added.

The CJ inquired from the prosecutor if they challenged the trial court’s decision to dismiss all but one section of the FIR. You can challenge the verdict if it sabotages your case, the CJ added.

The prosecutor argued that Gill tried to incite mutiny in an institution via his speech, and that falls under the definition of sedition.

Also Read: IHC adjourns Shahbaz Gill’s bail plea hearing

The CJ said that the court admits that Shazbaz’s statement was irresponsible but it does not come under sedition. Political parties throw sedition allegations at each other for fun nowadays, he added.

The CJ concluded the hearing, accepting the PTI leader’s post-arrest bail plea.