Islamabad police Thursday took the wife of Shahbaz Gill’s driver in custody after they raided the latter’s residence to recover the PTI leader’s mobile phone for investigation in the sedition case being pursued against him. The police arrested Izhar’s brother-in-law Nauman and his wife Sara Mehreen, while Izhar along others managed to flee. “The raid was conducted to recover Shahbaz Gill’s mobile phone as he told police that he gave his device to the driver during arrest on Tuesday,” the police said, adding that Izhar’s wife and brother-in-law attacked the personnel of law enforcement agency and tore their uniform. A case has been filed against the duo at the Aabpara Police Station for creating hurdles in official work. The PTI leader was arrested over his anti-state remarks in a case filed on the state’s behalf. He would be presented before the court on Friday. The police had sought a 14-day remand, pleading that they have to recover his mobile phone and investigate him further.
Meanwhile, the PTI has decided to file a plea with the Islamabad High Court against the detention. Advocate Faisal Chaudhry said the PTI leadership was unaware of the whereabouts of the wife of detained family members of Shahbaz Gill’s driver. “We will approach the high court against this abduction,” the PTI counsel told the media. A special raiding party raided the house where Izhar was staying at 1:40am on Thursday, the FIR said, adding that when the door was knocked, a man and a woman came outside.
“The man identified himself as Izharullah while the woman identified herself as his wife, Mehreen.”
The FIR said both of them began creating a hue and cry after seeing the police party and called five to six more people from inside the house.
“All of them attacked the police party, put up resistance, began creating a hue and cry and threatened the police party. As a result, more people gathered at the scene,” the FIR read.
It alleged that while the suspects were putting up resistance, some of the suspects tore the shirt a constable, Sajjad Shahid. They also tore buttons off his shirt and snatched his mobile phone and wallet, which contained his ATM card, service card and Rs15,000 cash, the FIR said.
It added that Mehreen and another suspect, Nauman, were arrested from the scene while the rest managed to flee because of the dark. Subsequently, a case was registered against all the suspects.
The FIR was registered on behalf of Sub-Inspector Talat Mahmood of Kohsar police station under Sections 149 (every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 147 (punishment for rioting), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to commit the theft), 186 (obstructing public servant in the discharge of public functions) and (use of assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty) of the Pakistan Penal Code. In the FIR, police identified some of the suspects who fled as Hazbullah, Izaharullah, Sardar Imran Khan and Zafar Iqbal.
Earlier, in an audio clip posted on PTI’s Twitter account, a man who identified himself as Gill’s assistant said, “A large number of police personnel have raided my house, harassed my wife and family members and taken away our mobile phones”. He said they had detained his wife without a warrant and appealed for help. “Police are … torturing me repeatedly, asking me to bring Shahbaz Gill’s belongings. I don’t have anything,” he said.
Meanwhile, the district and sessions court granted on Thursday the Islamabad police’s request for physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill’s driver’s brother-in-law, while sending the driver’s wife to jail.
The court announced its judgment shortly after reserving it after hearing the accused’s counsel’s arguments.
Following the court announcing its judgment, the counsel for the wife filed a post-arrest bail petition, on which the court later issued notices. Judicial Magistrate Salman Badar has summoned the police and prosecutor on Friday (today) asking for the wife to kept in jail tonight.
Earlier this week, Gill was arrested on charges of sedition and inciting the public against state institutions.
During the court proceedings on Thursday, Gill’s counsel Faisal Chaudhry said that the incident took place at 9pm last night and claimed there was “video evidence proving that the police entered [the driver’s house] without a warrant”.
The lawyer also claimed that the police had vandalized the accused’s home and also beaten them.
“We were to file a petition for habeas corpus today but the police released the news to the media,” said the advocate as he argued that “considering the role the woman played in the case posits her to be discharged” since “all but one provision in the suit are bailable offenses”.
During the proceedings, the accused’s 10-month old daughter began crying and was prevented from meeting her mother upon which Civil Judge Salman Badr ordered the girl to be brought to her in the courtroom.
When the judge asked the woman if she wanted to say something, she stated that “the police broke the door and entered [the house], we only came to know [of the incident] when the police had reached our bedroom. Our privacy was not even considered”.
“More than 20 police officers entered the bedroom and tortured us,” added Nauman. “The police entered without a warrant and violated the sanctity of the home,” argued the lawyer. Advocate Chaudhry was snubbed by the judge for “mentioning Shahbaz Gill’s arrest in another case” and directed to “restrict the arguments to the present case”.
