ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has rejected a plea from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill to halt his indictment proceedings in a sedition case.
Gill is set to be indicted in a district and sessions court on Friday, after which the trial against him in the case of inciting mutiny within the army will begin.
His lawyer requested the court to temporarily stop the special prosecutor from submitting a charge sheet and issue a stay order on Gill’s indictment.
The government had appointed Special Prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi instead of holding a trial through a public prosecutor.
The hearing was adjourned till next week for further arguments on the legal point of the special prosecutor’s appointment.
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader and former chief of staff its chairman, Imran Khan, is facing sedition charges for allegedly inciting mutiny within the army.
Imran Khan, the leader of the PTI, was also booked in a separate terrorism case for his alleged remarks directed at the female judge. Khan has denied any wrongdoing, saying that the cases were an act of revenge by the government.
Critics say the case highlights the need for the government to ensure that individuals are not subject to legal action for simply exercising the right to freedom of expression, and serves as a reminder that the government should not use legal proceedings as a tool of revenge against its political opponents.
