By Our Staff Reporter
Islamabad: The top leadership of Pakistan Tehreek Insaf including Imran Khan has boldly admitted that Shahbaz Gill’s remarks were unacceptable and totally rubbish.
In a desperate yet successful attempt, Imran Khan, PTI’s chairman, and the former prime minister has distanced himself from his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill’s controversial remarks aired on ARY News earlier this month, and boldly admitted that they were “wrong” and should not have been uttered.
” He [Gill] shouldn’t have said it because it falls under instigating the army. The fact is that we want to see Army as a strong institution,” Khan said in an interview with journalist Fereeha M Idrees on GNN News adding that statements against the establishment were also passed by coalition government leaders Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Maryam Nawaz, Ayaz Sadiq, Nawaz Sharif and others in the past.
It is worth noting that Gill was arrested last week at Banigala Chowk in the capital after a video clip of his controversial remarks, aired on ARY News, went viral on social media. The controversial remarks not only landed Gill in hot waters but also put Khan’s PTI into an awkward position following criticism from the masses. Gill was booked on charges of sedition and inciting the public against the state institutions. He is currently incarcerated in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
It is interesting to note that the senior leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is yet to condemn Gill’s remarks in clear words. However, the party has conceded that he could have chosen better words, or not said what he did.
Last week, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry refused to condemn Gill’s statement, instead suggested his colleague could have had a better choice of words.
“I would have condemned the statement if he wasn’t under arrest. Now, after his arrest, condemning the statement does not seem appropriate to me. Moreover, efforts are being made to drive a wedge between Imran Khan and the army. Mr Khan has always worked for the prosperity of the country and that is what the army does too,” he said while addressing reporters.
He claimed the “cabal of crooks” was making all-out efforts to create discord between the PTI and the army, but they would not succeed in their nefarious designs, as the PTI chief wanted a strong army.
Yesterday on Wednesday, the capital’s police force finally managed to get the custody of PTI leader Dr Shahbaz Gill and moved him to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Wednesday night.
Later, Pims set up a five-member board to examine Mr Gill’s condition.