Arrest of PTI leader

On Tuesday, former special assistant to the former prime minister and current PTI leader Dr Shahbaz Gill was arrested for hosting a program on a private TV channel, which is not the first time he has been detained.

In early April this year, when Imran Khan had to lose the Prime Ministership as a result of the no-confidence motion, Shahbaz Gill, who was working as the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Political Communication, worked as the Chief of Staff in Bani Gala. He was appointed Chief of Staff on 13 April.

Along with Shahbaz Gill, the current government had also put the name of the Prime Minister’s former advisor on accountability Shehzad Akbar on the stop list, but the Islamabad High Court suspended this decision shortly before the appointment of the Chief of Staff.

PTI leader Shahbaz Gill was arrested for the first time on July 17 and he was released on July 18, after which Shahbaz Gill thanked those who condemned the arrest.

PTI leader Shahbaz Gill was detained from Muzaffargarh in Punjab. Last month, the Punjab government said about this arrest that Shahbaz Gill was arrested in view of fear of disturbance of peace. He was accompanied by KPK militants.

The arrest of Shahbaz Gill for the second time was carried out on August 9, but earlier this year the PTI leader had an accident. Shahbaz Gill said that I always respected the law, my finger was broken by the police stick but I survived.

Shahbaz Gill said on May 6 about his accident that he survived but no effort was spared to kill. Gill said he was the first person who was attacked after the end of the government. It was not until PTI went to the government that action was initiated against him.

Speaking on a program of a private TV channel on the evening of Monday, August 8, Shahbaz Gill made objectionable allegations and made rhetoric against the Pakistan Army, on which PEMRA suspended the broadcast of the private TV channel.

A show cause notice was also issued to the TV management. The text of the case filed in the Kohsar police station on the complaint of the government said that Shahbaz Gill had incited to spread chaos in the country, divide the army and encourage the soldiers to disobey the orders of the officers.

The text of the case further stated that Shahbaz Gill incited public hatred against the army and also tried to harm the integrity of the country. The court handed over Shahbaz Gill to the police on a 2-day remand.

Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi advised the PTI leadership to stay away from Shahbaz Gill’s narrative and said that he scolded Shahbaz Gill.

Chaudhry Parvaiz Elahi said that the leadership of Tehreek-e-Insaaf will have to distance itself from Shahbaz Gill’s statement. This statement did not benefit but harmed because the institutions are ours. Is it wise to make a statement against the forces?

Interestingly, the TV channel which has faced the PEMRA ban for airing Shehbaz Gill’s video is the same channel in which former Water Affairs Minister Faisal Vawda had come with a military boat one day. Unnecessary criticism of the Pakistan Army is not digestible. Politicians, as well as the media, have to be careful.