ATC dismisses Omar Ayub’s acquittal plea in GHQ attack case

RAWALPINDI: Judge Amjad Ali Shah of Special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Rawalpindi Wednesday dismissed an acquittal petition, filed by PTI leader and Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan in the GHQ attack case, registered against 120 people including PTI former chairman and former foreign minister.

The court issued a show-cause notice to regional police officer (RPO) Rawalpindi for delay in producing the accused, named in the cases, and sought a reply on Thursday (today). The court also adjourned the hearing of both the petitions, challenging the jurisdiction of the hearing till Thursday.

In the GHQ attack case, Omar Ayub had taken the plea that he was named in the case baselessly, as there was neither evidence of his presence at the scene nor he was directly or indirectly related to the case. His counsel Dr Babar Awan Advocate told the court that in one such case, the ATC Sargodha had acquitted his client.

State lawyer Zaheer Shah opposed the petition and took the position that the court had already rejected the acquittal petitions of Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, Shireen Mazari and Omar Tanveer Butt. Therefore, Omar Ayub’s acquittal petition should also be rejected, as his name was mentioned in confessional statements of Omar Tanveer Butt, Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi and Sadaqat Abbasi. Until the testimony was presented in the court, the court would not give a decision on the acquittal plea and the prosecution’s testimony. He stated that the Sargodha ATC decision had also been challenged in the Rawalpindi high court bench.

The court expressed its displeasure over delay in producing the accused arrested on various occasions, including at Nov-24 protest, and issued a show-cause notice to the RPO Rawalpindi.

Two separate petitions were filed by the PTI lawyers to challenge the jurisdiction of the court under Section 23 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The hearing of the petitions was also postponed due to end of the court time.