Sheikh Rashid moves SC against indictment in GHQ attack case

ISLAMABAD: Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, chairman Awami Muslim League (AML), Thursday challenged in the Supreme Court (SC) the process of his indictment in the GHQ attack case by the Special Anti-Terrorism Court, Rawalpindi.

Rashid filed a petition for leave to appeal under Article 185(3) of the Constitution from the judgment dated December 10, 2024, passed by a division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench upholding his indictment.

He contended that there was no solid evidence to charge him in the GHQ attack case, adding that neither he was named in the FIR nor any of the 95 witnesses nominated him in the case.

He submitted that after six months, he was implicated in the case only to keep him out of the February-8 election, and the co-accused Sadaqat Ali Abbasi’s statement was recorded in the court of assistant commissioner Islamabad under Section 164 CrPC wherein he named him and some other leaders.

Sheikh Rashid contended that according to law, the statement of one accused could not be used against another accused under any circumstances, while the accused Sadaqat Abbasi had already denied his statement.

Sheikh Rashid contended that he had nothing to do with the GHQ attack case and, therefore, he should have been acquitted under Section 265K of the Pakistan Penal Code.

He submitted that the statement of co-accused and that too disowned by him and retracted, could not be used as a piece of evidence against him, especially when such statement was not recorded in his presence and he was not given an opportunity of cross examination.

“The prosecution has not cited the maker of statement as witness, thus in the absence thereof, there is no piece of evidence available on record to proceed with the trial to the extent of the petitioner/accuse,” Sheikh Rashid submitted.

He also filed a request for early hearing of the case and issuance of injunction until the final decision.

Earlier, the Anti-Terrorism Court had rejected the acquittal application of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in the matter under Section 265K, and indicted other accused including PTI founder chairman Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Sheikh Rashid had moved the LHC, but it upheld the verdict of the Anti-Terrorism Court.