Sindh govt files for review of SC acquittals in Daniel Pearl murder case

Published January 29, 2021
Daniel Pearl, 38, was abducted in Karachi in January 2002 while doing a research on religious extremism. — Dawn archives
Daniel Pearl, 38, was abducted in Karachi in January 2002 while doing a research on religious extremism. — Dawn archives

Lawyers filed a last-ditch attempt to overturn the acquittal of a British-born militant convicted of masterminding the murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, a government prosecutor said Friday.

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an appeal against a Sindh High Court's (SHC) decision to clear Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and three others over the killing, after nearly two decades in jail.

The decision has outraged the United States and extends a legal tug of war between the Sindh government — who kept the group behind bars using emergency powers — and the courts.

Fiaz Shah, prosecutor general for Sindh government, told AFP that it had lodged a review of the verdict at the Supreme Court in the capital Islamabad.

“The petition was filed to seek a review and request the court to recall the order of acquittal,” Shah said.

An official at Central Prison Karachi where Sheikh is being held said they had not received a formal court order for his release.

“As soon as the order is formally received, it will be followed,” said the official requesting anonymity.

The White House said it was “outraged” by the Supreme Court's ruling and has suggested allowing American officials to prosecute him.

Read: US state secretary offers to prosecute Omar Sheikh following SC acquittal

Pearl was the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal when he was abducted in Karachi in January 2002 while researching a story about militants.

Nearly a month later, after a string of ransom demands were made, a graphic video showing his decapitation was given to officials.

Sheikh, who once studied at the London School of Economics and had been involved in previous kidnappings of foreigners, was arrested days after Pearl's abduction.

He was later sentenced to death by hanging after telling a Karachi court that Pearl had already been killed days before the gruesome video of the journalist's beheading had been released.

The top court's ruling on Thursday follows an outcry last year when a lower court acquitted 47-year-old Sheikh of murder and reduced his conviction to a lesser charge of kidnapping — overturning his death sentence and ordering him to be freed after almost two decades in prison.

That sparked a series of petitions, including from Pearl's family, but the Supreme Court rejected them in a split decision, upholding the acquittal.

Opinion

Editorial

System failure
Updated 12 Nov, 2024

System failure

Relevant institutions often treat right to internet connectivity with the same disdain as they do civil and political rights.
Narrowing the gap
12 Nov, 2024

Narrowing the gap

PERHAPS a pat on the back is in order for the ECP. Together with Nadra, it has made visible efforts to reduce...
Back on their feet
12 Nov, 2024

Back on their feet

A STIRRING comeback in the series has ended Pakistan’s 22-year wait for victory against world champions Australia....
Time to deliver
Updated 11 Nov, 2024

Time to deliver

Pakistan must display a serious commitment to climate change adaptation and mitigation at home.
Smaller government
11 Nov, 2024

Smaller government

THE IMF bailout programme has put the government under pressure to curtail its spending, especially current...
Unsafe inheritance
11 Nov, 2024

Unsafe inheritance

DESPITE regulations, the troubling practice of robbing women of their rightful inheritance — the culprits are ...