Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday urged the “neutrals” — a tacit reference to the establishment — to stand with the people and justice instead of thieves.
“I want to tell my neutrals that this is a problem of Pakistan [hence] it’s imperative for you to stand with people and justice instead of thieves,” he said while addressing the supporters at a rally in Islamabad.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took out a rally in Islamabad from Zero Point to F-9 Park in support of incarcerated leader Shahbaz Gill, who the party said subjected to “gruesome torture” in police custody.
Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan led the rally to record protest against “blatant fascism prevalent under imported regime”.
PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan in a tweet had said that Imran will address the protesters and his speech will be live telecast at other rallies being taken out by party leaders in divisional headquarters across the country.
Gill was arrested from Bani Gala Chowk in Islamabad a few days ago after a video clip of his controversial remarks aired on a television channel went viral on social media. He was subsequently booked on charges of inciting mutiny in the military. However, roughly 10 days after his arrest, the PTI chairman and the party leadership adopted an offensive mode with all guns blazing and decided to take to the streets.
After seeing photos and videos showing Gill gasping for air while being taken to the court and hospital, the PTI chairman went to see Gill at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Friday evening but was denied permission.
Talking to the media at PIMS, the former PM said that if a political worker can be tortured, one could imagine what an ordinary citizen goes through, adding that such “inhuman treatment” and “torture of a political worker” was unacceptable.
Also read: Gill subjected to ‘sexual abuse’, claims Imran
“All the pictures & videos show clearly [Shahbaz] Gill was tortured both mentally & physically incl[uding] sexual abuse – most too gruesome to relate. He was humiliated to break him down,” Imran tweeted while sharing a video of Gill wherein he could be seen pleading for an oxygen mask.
While questioning who tortured Gill, Imran without specifically naming anyone stated that “there is a general perception in the public at large & in our minds too as to who could have carried out the gruesome torture”, warning “remember the public will react”. Subsequently, Imran vowed to leave “no stone unturned to find out those [who are] responsible & bring them to justice.”
Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb earlier today said that a graphic video shared by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders was “fake” and being used as a “ploy to raise false narratives in a bid to distract from PTI leader Shahbaz Gill’s controversial statement”.
During a press conference in Islamabad, she also shared a ‘recent video’ purportedly showing Gill standing up and looking healthy despite claims made by former prime minister Imran Khan and other PTI leaders that he was tortured and sexually abused.
“Shahbaz Gill has not been tortured and only fake propaganda is being spread in this regard. When he (Gill) comes in front of the camera, he starts acting,” she said.
