Islamabad court again defers Shahbaz Gill's indictment in sedition case

Additional Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra adjourns hearing till May 6

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – A district and sessions court in the federal capital on Saturday once again deferred the indictment of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill in the sedition case. 

Additional Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra has put off the indictment till May 6 on the request of Mr Gill and his legal team. 

During the hearing, the judge asked: “You are going abroad and when will you return”. The PTI leader pleaded the court to show some leniency as he needed to go abroad.  Later, judge Sipra deferred the process of framing charges against him till May 6. 

It is recalled that the Lahore High Court (LHC) earlier this week allowed Shahbaz Gill to travel to the United States for four weeks. 

A three-member LHC bench heard the petition filed against the inclusion of Shahbaz Gill’s name in the Exit Control List (ECL). The high court allowed Shahbaz Gill to travel abroad for one time and also sought a response from the federal government regarding the inclusion of Mr Gill's name in the ECL. 

The sedition case was registered against the PTI stalwart after he made controversial remarks on a private news channel last year allegedly aimed at creating a divide in armed forces. He was also arrested in August last but later he was released on bail granted by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).