Supreme Court requested to hear Daniel Pearl murder case next week

ISLAMABAD: The Sindh government on Tuesday requested the Supreme Court to fix its appeal against the Sindh High Court (SHC) verdict in the American journalist Daniel Pearl murder case next week for hearing.

In an application moved in the apex court, the provincial government stated that the high court declared void the sentences handed to the four convicts despite the fact that there was sufficient evidence on record.

“There is apprehension of absconsion/repeating offence by respondents, hence, the matter is of great urgency,” the application said, pleading with the apex court to fix the appeal next week.

Earlier, on April 22, the Sindh government filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the SHC’s April 2 verdict that overturned the sentences of four convicts in the murder case.

The Sindh government in its plea requested the top court to reinstate the death sentence of a prime suspect, Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh, whose sentence was reduced to seven years

It is pertinent to mention here that the Sindh High Court (SHC) in its verdict on April 2 had overturned the sentences of four convicts in the case of the slain American journalist Daniel Pearl.

A two-judge SHC bench headed by Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha has pronounced three of the four accused ‘not guilty’ while the prime accused Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh’s death sentence was reduced to a seven-year jail term.

The British national, Ahmed Omer Saeed co-accused Fahad Naseem, Salman Saqib and Sheikh Adil moved the SHC in 2002 challenging their convictions handed down by the Hyderabad ATC after finding them guilty of abducting and killing Pearl.