An Islamabad court on Tuesday dismissed the post-arrest bail petition of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) politician Shahbaz Gill, who has been under judicial custody since 9 August in a sedition case.
Shireen Mazari, former minister and PTI politician, termed the decision "shameful", claiming that the state is "hell-bent on torturing Gill to try and get to Imran Khan".
"His torture is now evident before the world. How far will conspirators go in desperation to get Imran Khan? So far, they have failed at each turn of their vicious plotting!" Mazari tweeted.
Gill, a former special assistant to the prime minister, was accused of making controversial remarks against Pakistan's army during a TV debate. A government lawyer argued that Gill had tried to incite government employees not to follow the orders of senior officers or the federal government and launched a systematic campaign to politicize the armed forces.
Imran Khan launched a scathing attack on the judiciary, police, and the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government over Gill's arrest. Khan accused the Islamabad police of torturing and sexually abusing Gill in custody. However, the federal government and police have denied the allegations.
The police have filed an anti-terrorism case against Khan for allegedly threatening a female judge and police during his public rally in support of Gill on 20 August.