ISLAMABAD, Aug 9 (APP): Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill was arrested “in accordance with the law” on charges for inciting the public against the state institutions.
“Shahbaz Gill had made statements against the institutions in an attempt to create hatred among its personnel and inciting them towards revolt,” he said while addressing a press conference here.
Flanked by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, he said a case 691/22 was registered against Gill in Kohsar police station under sections 120, 124-A (sedition), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), and others of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Gill was accused of spreading chaos, inciting people against the state along with other serious allegations, he added.
He said, “following Lasbela helicopter crash, a conspiracy was hatched against the state institutions after a meeting presided over by the PTI chief.”
He accused Shahbaz Gill and Fawad Chaudhry of promoting a narrative against institutions in collaboration with a private news channel.
Rana Sanaullah said Shahbaz Gill’s provocative comments were broadcasted more than once against a disciplined institution which made it obvious that Imran Khan wanted to divide the nation and mislead youth of the country.
Regarding the security arrangements from 1st to 10th of Muharram, he said the federal government provided utmost cooperation to all the provincial governments, including that of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
He said around 7,000 processions and over 50,000 ‘majaalis’ took place across Pakistan and culminated peacefully. Over 16,000 Rangers performed their duties during Muharram across the country, he added.
The minister said on Youm-e-Ashur, 1,431 processions were taken out and 80 percent of them culminated peacefully at their designated destinations. No untoward incident was reported anywhere in the country, he added.
The minister reiterated that Gill was arrested according to the law and through a proper procedure; “I assure you, he will be treated in accordance with the law.”
He said, Gill would be produced before the court, and “a fair and transparent investigation would be conducted” against him.
Rana Sanaullah said fake cases were registered against the PML-N during the PTI tenure, but the present government had been abiding by the law and the Constitution.
