Pak Interior Minister denies Imran Khan's close aide subjected to any "abuse"

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 20 : Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Saturday said that Imran Khan's close aide Shahbaz Gill, who was arrested in a sedition case, has not been subjected to any kind of "abuse".
"No abuse of any kind occurred. Shahbaz Gill is just faking it. He was not tortured," the minister told Geo News in a telephonic conversation.
Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Khan, while sharing a video on his social media handle, claimed that Gill who was tortured mentally and physically including being subjected to sexual abuse.
Denying the allegations, Sanaullah said "Imran Khan is lying, as always, that Gill was sexually abused," adding that PTI chief can file a case against "the one involved" if he believes Gill was tortured.
Gill has been in police custody since August 9 when the Islamabad police arrested him in a sedition case after he passed controversial remarks on a private news channel.
According to the Islamabad police spokesperson, he was booked on charges of sedition and inciting members of state institutions against the Pakistan Army, reported Geo News.
The PML-N leader said the PTI chief knows that the verdict of the Toshakhana and foreign funding case is about to come "therefore, he is peddling false propaganda," reported Geo News.
Meanwhile, a police inquiry was instituted to investigate the torture allegations.
According to sources, the IG Islamabad is leading the inquiry and has been ordered by the Islamabad High Court to submit a report.
The police have also started recording statements to probe the torture allegations. Statements were taken from doctors on Gill's health condition, reported Geo News.
The sources further said that the diet of the PTI leader will be fully monitored.
According to sources in jail, it was learnt that Gill complained of difficulty in breathing and poor health due to the alleged torture after which he was shifted to the jail hospital for a checkup, reported Geo News.
However, when his condition reportedly appeared to have deteriorated, it was decided that he will be shifted to a hospital for a complete medical checkup.
On August 17, Gill was shifted to the PIMS hospital's Cardiac Centre late in the night. A three-member board of doctors took his multiple tests, including blood tests, ECG and coronavirus test.
On August 18, the PIMS hospital's board released Gill's medical report that declared him absolutely fit and healthy. All his tests were clear, according to the report.
On August 19, he was shifted to an Islamabad district and sessions court from PIMS in a wheelchair. While he was being hustled from the ambulance to the court, Gill appeared to burst into tears.
Despite the Islamabad police's demand for an extension of Gill's physical remand in a sedition case, the district and sessions court judge ordered him sent back to the Cardiac Centre of the PIMS for a reassessment of his health.
"Shahbaz Gill's condition is not fine," the court remarked while announcing the verdict reserved by duty judge Judicial Magistrate Raja Farrukh Ali Khan.