A special anti-terrorism court has dismissed the acquittal plea of Omar Ayub, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, in the GHQ attack case.

The verdict, delivered by Judge Amjad Ali Shah, was previously reserved following detailed arguments. Special Public Prosecutor Zaheer Shah opposed the acquittal plea, pointing out that similar pleas by other accused, including Sheikh Rasheed, Shireen Mazari, Amjad Niazi, and Omar Tanveer Butt, had already been rejected.

He argued that Omar Ayub was implicated based on confessional statements given by Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi and Omar Tanveer Butt.

The prosecutor further contended that the acquittal request could not be approved without the testimony of the magistrate who recorded the confessional statements. He also highlighted that the acquittal rulings in related cases had been challenged in the Anti-Terrorism Court Sargodha.

In its judgment, the court emphasized that the case was in its initial stages and involved serious allegations. It stated that the facts could only be established through a full trial and presentation of evidence.

Omar Ayub’s counsel, Babar Awan, had earlier presented arguments in favor of the acquittal plea. However, the court ruled that the matter warranted further examination before reaching a conclusion.