'Perfectly alright': Punjab home minister denies Shahbaz Gill torture rumours

• Hashim Dogar says Gill is "perfectly alright in the jail".
• Home minister plans to brief Imran Khan regarding Gill's health.
• Meanwhile, PTI MPA says officers of Adiaja jail are being removed.

RAWALPINDI: Punjab Home Minister Col (retd) Muhammad Hashim Tuesday denied rumours that PTI chairperson Imran Khan’s chief of staff Shahbaz Gill was tortured in police custody.

Speaking to journalists outside Central Jail Adiala in Rawalpindi, where Gill is imprisoned, the home minister said: “He is perfectly alright in the jail. There is no question of him being beaten up.”

He said that he met Gill and he is fine. 

“I will brief the PTI chairperson regarding their health conditions Gill,” he added.

Dogar further stated that several people came to meet the PTI leader during custody, adding that this is the federal government’s case and Adiala jail is “only his custodian’.

The home minister highlighted that there are more than 40 jails in Punjab and the security and food provided in the jail are good.

Replying to the question, he said: “I do not support Gill’s statement. Absolutely not.”

Meanwhile, taking to his Twitter handle, Provincial Minister for Cooperatives, Environment Protection and Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Basharat Raja said officers of Adiaja jail were being removed.

“DIG and Superintendent Adiala jail are being removed from their posts on their criminal silence about illegal actions being done with political prisoner Shahbaz Gill.”

On August 12, the former prime minister took to Twitter and “strongly condemned the torture being inflicted on Shahbaz Gill”.

The case

Gill was arrested on August 9 from Banigala Chowk in the capital a day after making controversial remarks on a private TV channel. He was subsequently booked on charges of sedition and inciting members of state institutions against the Pakistan Army.

A treason case was registered against him at the Kohsar Police Station under several sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including 124-A (sedition), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot if rioting be committed; if not committed), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups, etc), and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), among others.