IHC turns down plea seeking stay order on Gill's indictment in sedition case.

ISLAMABAD -- The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday rejected a plea seeking a stay order against the indictment proceedings against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill in a sedition case filed against him.

Gill is due to be indicted tomorrow (Friday) in a district and sessions court, after which the trial against him will kick off in the case of inciting mutiny within the army.

On January 6, the trial court adjourned the proceedings to frame charges against Gill till January 20 as he appeared with oxygen support at the hearing.

At the outset of the hearing, Gill requested the court to stay his indictment and stop the special prosecutor from submitting a charge sheet in tomorrow's hearing.

It should be noted that the government has appointed Special Prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi instead of holding a trial through a public prosecutor.

"Framing of the charges [in the trial court] is fixed for tomorrow (January 20)," Gill's lawyer informed the court, pleading with the judge to temporarily stop the special prosecutor from submitting a charge sheet and issue a stay order on Gill's indictment.

"Will the charges be framed tomorrow?" Justice Aamer Farooq inquired in response to the plea. He remarked that the defence hadn't...