Lahore High Court Rejects Sheikh Rashid’s Petition Against Acquittal in GHQ Attack Case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench, comprising Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf and Justice Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, has dismissed the petition filed by Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the leader of the Awami Muslim League and former federal minister, challenging the Anti-Terrorism Court’s (ATC) decision to reject his acquittal in the GHQ Gate attack case.
Sheikh Rashid had filed the petition against the ATC’s ruling, which had refused to grant him acquittal. During the hearing, Rashid’s defense lawyer, Sardar Abdul Razzaq, argued that there was no substantial evidence or witnesses against his client. He contended that Rashid had been implicated based solely on the confessional statement of a co-accused, and that Rashid’s alleged involvement stemmed from attending an online meeting via Zoom. The defense further argued that under the law, a co-accused’s confessional statement cannot be used as evidence against another accused.
However, after hearing the arguments, the Lahore High Court upheld the decision of the Anti-Terrorism Court, rejecting Sheikh Rashid’s request for acquittal.