Former prime minister and Chairman PTI Imran Khan's Chief of Staff Shahbaz Gill was shifted to the PIMS Hospital late Wednesday after he complained of difficulty in breathing.
Gill has been in police custody since August 9 when the Islamabad police arrested him in a sedition case after he passed controversial remarks on a private news channel. According to the Islamabad police spokesperson, he was booked on charges of sedition and inciting members of state institutions against the Pakistan Army.
According to sources in jail, it was learnt that Gill complained of difficulty in breathing and poor health due to alleged torture after which he was shifted to the jail hospital for a checkup. However, when his condition reportedly appeared to have deteriorated, it was decided that he will be shifted to a hospital for a complete medical checkup.
At the PIMS hospital's Cardiac Centre, doctors conducted an initial medical checkup. Different tests, including blood tests and ECG, were also set to be carried out.
The sources said his oxygen saturation level was recorded at 97. For healthy individuals, a pulse oximeter reading for oxygen saturation level is between 95% and 100%.
Gill's blood pressure was found to be 70/110, the sources said, adding that a coronavirus test sample was also dispatched to the laboratory.
The sources, citing doctors, said Gill's health was found to be satisfactory in the initial medical examination. However, an overall medical report was to be readied in the morning.
The sources said the decision to discharge the PTI leader from the hospital will be made after the medical report is received.
Referring to the August 17 struggle between the Islamabad and Rawalpindi police forces, the Punjab minister criticised the Islamabad police, saying it shifted Gill to Islamabad under the guard of the Rangers. The Punjab police tried to shift Shahbaz Gill to a nearby hospital, he said.
Earlier yesterday, an Islamabad district and sessions court remanded the senior PTI leader into police custody for 48 hours in its verdict on a review plea seeking his physical remand in the sedition case.
However, after his condition deteriorated, a decision was made to shift him to the hospital. The Rawalpindi police arrived at the jail premises to take Gill's custody. After a lot of chaos, the Adiala jail authorities handed over his custody to the Islamabad police, in compliance with the court order.
The Rawalpindi Police said it would shift Gill to the DHQ Hospital while the Islamabad Police insisted on transferring the PTI leader to the federal capital as per court orders. Following the argument, additional personnel of Islamabad Police were called to the jail.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior had also summoned Rangers and FC personnel to execute the court orders.
