Gill, who has been arrested in connection with the FIR registered against him for allegedly inciting mutiny among armed forces, was produced before Judicial Magistrate Raja Farrukh Ali Khan following the expiry of his two-day Remand.

He was taken to court in an ambulance from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), where he was shifted late on Wednesday night after he complained of breathing problems amid reports of him being subjected to torture while in police custody.

Footage from outside the courtroom showed officials crowding around Gill as he arrived in a wheelchair. Gill also appeared to be having difficulty breathing.

In a video shared on the PTI’s official Twitter account, Gill was heard crying for his “mask” — apparently an oxygen mask — while being taken to the courtroom. The tweet described the scene as “heartbreaking”.

’Did the earlier remand remain uninitiated? asks judge

During the hearing, the police asked the court to extend the PTI leader’s physical remand for another eight days.

The judicial magistrate noted that the court had previously granted the police two-day physical remand of Gill. “Why are you making a request for eight [more] days?” he asked.

The judge also questioned whether the previous physical remand remained “uninitiated”. “Was the earlier two-day remand technically uninitiated? Were police able to investigate during the two days’ time?”

He also asked police to clarify whether they were asking for a new remand or seeking an extension of the previous one.

Prior to these queries, Gill again asked for his mask.

“For God’s sake, give me my mask,” he pled.

At that, the judge asked him whether he wanted to stay in the court.

“Give me my mask. I will stay,” the PTI leader replied.
‘Medical report indicates toture’

While presenting his arguments, Gill’s lawyer, Advocate Faisal Chaudhry, contended before the court that his client’s illness was there for it to see.

“His issue is genuine,” he said, adding that his medical report also indicated torture. “I asked doctors yesterday and they informed me.”

“You can see. [Gill] has been presented before the court in a wheelchair and along with an oxygen cylinder,” the lawyer said.
‘Physical remand poses life threat’

Advocate Chaudhry contested the police’s plea for Gill’s custody, saying that he believed Gill would face a “life threat” if sent on physical remand.

After reading out the Islamabad High Court’s order on Gill’s physical remand — in which the matter of Gill’s remand was referred back to the trial court — the lawyer said the prosecution had given assured that Gill would be kept in hospital till Monday.

The lawyer further argued that according to remand papers submitted by police, there were admitting that Gill’s two-day remand had been completed.

He claimed that Gill was being interrogated at the hospital as well, “as we were given permission to meet him at 9pm yesterday”.
Gill alleges medical report submitted to court not real

For his part, Gill alleged that his medical report submitted to the court was fake.

“My real report is not the one which they have submitted,” he claimed, urging the court to seek his actual report.
The controversy

On August 9, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) had issued a show-cause notice to ARY News for airing comments from Gill, that it said were “highly hateful and seditious” remarks tantamount to “incite armed forces towards revolt”.

The notice went on to say that Gill was invited via a telephonic call for his comments and during his talk with the channel, Gill had alleged that the government was trying to provoke the lower and middle tier of the army against the PTI, saying the families of such “rank and file” support Imran Khan and his party “which is fuelling rage within the government”.

He had also alleged that the “strategic media cell” of the ruling PML-N was spreading false information and fake news to create divisions between PTI chief Imran Khan and the armed forces.

Gill had said the government leaders, including Javed Latif, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and former National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq, had lambasted the army in the past “and they were at the government positions now”.

“The statement made by the guest on ARY News is a violation of Article 19 of the Constitution as well as Pemra laws. Airing of such content on your news channel shows either weak editorial control on the content or the licensee is intentionally indulged in providing its platform to such individuals who intend to spread malice and hatred against state institutions for their vested interests,” the watchdog stated.

“Dr Gill tried to malign the federal government, claiming the government functionaries are spearheading a campaign through social media cell for propagating anti-army narrative,” the authority said.