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SC turns down plea against acquittal of Daniel Pearl murder accused

SC turns down plea against acquittal of Daniel Pearl murder accused
February 2, 2021

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down a review petition seeking suspension of the Sindh High Court’s acquittal verdict in Daniel Pearl murder case.

The Supreme Court has ordered the authorities to move Ahmed Omar Sheikh, who was convicted of kidnapping US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2012, to a rest house in Karachi in two days. The court has instructed that he should be moved from the death cell to a barrack.

The authorities have been told to find a suitable rest house for him, and shift him there on Kashmir Day (February 5). His family will be able to meet him from 8am to 5pm and he will not have access to a mobile phone or internet at the rest house, the court said.

The Supreme Court resumed hearing on Tuesday the Sindh government’s review petition against the top court’s acquittal of Sheikh in the case.

Earlier, the Advocate General Sindh sought a restraining order in the case for one week. “What is the basis for a stay order, it will be wrong to declare a person terrorist without any evidence,” Justice Bandial remarked.

The Supreme Court had deferred release of Daniel Pearl murder accused for a day while hearing review petition of the Sindh government.

On Friday, the Sindh government through its prosecutor general had moved a petition in the apex court, pleading with it to review its decision of acquitting the accused.

Four convicts of the murder case, British national Ahmed Omer Saeed Shaikh, co-accused Fahad Naseem, Salman Saqib and Sheikh Adil had moved the Sindh High Court (SHC) in 2002 challenging their convictions handed down by the Hyderabad Anti-Terrorism Court after finding them guilty of abducting and killing American Journalist Daniel Pearl.