ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan’s chief of staff Shahbaz Gill was shifted to a police installation for further interrogation after he was handed over to police custody on a two-day physical remand.

Judicial Magistrate Islamabad West Malak Aman gave Mr Gill into police custody, with the condition that he be medically examined before and after the remand period.

A report by a medical board formed to examine Mr Gill, dated August 21, stated that the patient had mild intermittent bronchial asthma, with no signs of exacerbation. “At the moment he is clinically stable on inhalers and nebulisation,” it added.

During Monday’s proceedings, while a special prosecutor argued for a two-day remand, the defence counsel said since the period of 14 days, provided under the law, had already expired, further physical custody should not be granted. After hearing arguments from both sides, the magistrate ordered: “The time for physical remand would start when the custody of accused would be given to investigation officer for interrogation and recovery and by no stretch of imagination the time spent by accused in hospital can be considered as a time of physical remand therefore, request of learned counsel for accused is hereby turned down.”

Pistol, satellite phone, among items seized during late-night search; echoes Imran’s claim that he was ‘sexually assaulted’

After taking custody of the suspect, police shifted him to the CIA centre for interrogation, sources said, adding that devices including one of his mobile phones, a laptop and a USB had been recovered from him.

Editorial: Pawn sacrifice

In a late-night raid, the Islamabad police searched Mr Gill’s residence at Parliament Lodges in his presence and took some of his belongings in custody, TV channels reported.

Footage showed police took him with them during the search. They seized a pistol, a satellite phone, wallets, ATM cards and some other documents from his residence.

Mr Gill, who was handcuffed, managed to speak to some media persons during the raid and claimed the weapon did not belong to him. It might be his security guard’s pistol or someone intentionally placed it there, he said.

He told the media his driver and a servant had also been living with him but someone else had also access to his lodge, because many of things were out of their place. “For example my wallet was not in my room. It was in my car, and I don’t know that how it came to the bedside table,” he said.

Asked if it was true what Mr Khan had said about sexual assault in custody, he said: “Yes this is true.”

According to the TV channels, police later took him to Punjab House where he used to keep one room.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2022