Neither Shahbaz Gill nor his driver was tortured: Rana Sanaullah
ISLAMABAD, August 10 (SABAH): Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan has said that federal government has arrested Dr. Shahbaz Gill after lodging the first information report (FIR) against him.
He said this during an interview with a private TV channel here on Wednesday. “Imran Khan should tell us that which of the undemocratic act has been committed in this matter” Rana Sanaullah commented.
He said that neither Shahbaz Gill was tortured nor his driver, adding that it will not happen. He said that media and other people should also listen to the conversation of Shahbaz Gill, and continued if there were any lance naik, havaldar, colonels and brigadiers in the bureaucracy then that FIR was baseless and needs to be quashed forthwith.
The interior minister said if the proofs were found even against Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, he will also be arrested, adding all those people who were part of meeting, their names will also be included.
“Why Imran Khan is saying with stubbornness that in democracy at first there is given an opportunity to the accused to defend himself and then he is arrested. Someone should ask him whether you gave me an opportunity to defend myself when you arrested me of having 15kg of heroin. Our bails used to be granted even in the period of six months to 1.5 and two years while PTI leaders’ bails are being granted in less time,” Rana Sanaullah clarified.
He said that no lengthy interrogation is required in case of Shahbaz Gill as simply he gave a statement on ARY TV channel which in the first glance shows that he named the ranks of an institution and then said, “You are not slave, you are not animals. If you are given such orders you should refuse to obey them.”
Meanwhile, during a presser on Tuesday, Rana Sanaullah Khan said that Gill’s comments were part of planned conspiracy to create division within military. He said that comments were according to the script prepared under the supervision of Chairman PTI Imran Khan which was carried forward by Fawad Chaudhry and Gill.
Rana Sanaullah stated that Gill has been arrested by the Islamabad Police in accordance with the law on charges of sedition and inciting the public against the state institutions which has been registered in Kohsar Police Station.
The interior minister stated that FIR has been registered on behalf of the state. “Khan is working on a narrative after realising that he had been trapped in the foreign funding and Toshakhana reference,” he said, adding that this conspiracy was plotted to divert public attention from their wrongdoings.
Referring to Imrna Khan’s statement regarding this being abduction, Rana Sanaullah said that a case has been registered against Gill “how can this be abduction?”
“I assure Khan and [Fawad] Chaudhry that all action against them will be taken according to the law,” he said, adding that a “fair and transparent investigation” will be conducted and a team had been formed.
He went on to say that “hateful and seditious” remarks made by Gill were in line with the conspiracy in which a private news channel was also involved.
“Inquiry will be held regarding who are people behind Gill and the private channel as no further investigation is needed on Gill’s statement,” he said, adding that those involved from the private TV channel will eventually come to the limelight.
“The sentences that were said are such that I think it is not in the national interest to repeat them,” he said, claiming that the PTI leader went to the extent of leading people towards rebellion and inciting mutiny and sedition within the institution.
He further said that the incident proves that the PTI was responsible for running a negative social media campaign on the tragic incident of an army helicopter crash amid a flood relief operation in Balochistan.
Rana Sanaullah said that the talks with banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) will be held as per Constitution of the country. He clarified that Pakistan did not play role in killing of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who was recently killed by US drone strike in Kabul. The minister also stressed that Pakistan Army is fully capable to deal with the Taliban but said that the government is ready to hold talks if these elements are ready to lay down their arms.