Petition against acquittal of Daniel Pearl suspect

The regional government in Pakistan's Sindh province has said it will seek a review of the Supreme Court's decision to acquit Omar Sheikh, the main accused in the beheading of US journalist Daniel Pearl.

Sindh [Pakistan]: The provincial government of Sindh has announced that it will file a review petition against Pakistan Supreme Court's decision to acquit terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Shiekh, who is a prime convict in the kidnapping and brutal murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl.

In a statement following the verdict, Sindh information minister Nasir Hussain Shah on Thursday said that the provincial government "has decided to go for a review on the orders of the Supreme Court", Geo News reported.

"Omar Sheikh has admitted his involvement in the Daniel Pearl murder case," he added.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Attorney-General for Pakistan, Khalid Jawed Khan, said that the federal government is in contact with the Sindh government over the matter.

He acknowledged that a review petition will be filed, asking the Supreme Court to rescind the release orders of Sheikh and his associates.

"The federal government will provide the provincial government with every possible legal assistance in the matter," the spokesperson added.

Yesterday, the Pakistan Supreme Court dismissed the Sindh government's appeal against the Sindh High Court's (SHC) decision to overturn the conviction of Sheikh for killing the journalist.

In 2002, Pearl, the 38-year-old journalist of The Wall Street Journal's South Asia bureau, was abducted and beheaded while he was in Pakistan to investigate a story of terror groups' links to Al-Qaeda.

In December last year, the SHC directed to release Sheikh, Fahad Naseem, Sheikh Adil and Salman Saqib.

The provincial government had then approached the top court against the order of the SHC overturning the conviction of Sheikh.

In April 2020, the SHC had overturned the death sentence of Sheikh and sentenced him to seven years in prison and acquitted three other accused -- Fahad Naseem, Sheikh Adil and Salman Saqib -- who were earlier sentenced to life imprisonment by an anti-terrorism court (ATC).

The accused have been in jail for the last 18 years and ordered the accused to appear as and when the court summons them.

Meanwhile, the United States has reacted sharply on SC's ruling. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday that the United States is outraged with the Pakistan Supreme Court's decision to acquit Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl's killer Sheikh.

"The United States is outraged by the Pakistani Supreme Court's decision to affirm the acquittals of those responsible for Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl's kidnapping and brutal murder, which shocked the world's conscience in 2002," Psaki told reporters.

(ANI)