SC adjourns hearing in Daniel Pearl case till 27th

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday adjourned the hearing on the murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl until January 27 after the counsel for main accused Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh concluded his arguments.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Yahya Afridi heard the criminal petition filed by the government of Sindh as well as parents of Daniel Pearl for leave to appeal under Article 185(3) of the Constitution against the impugned judgment passed by the Sindh High Court on April 2.

Concluding his arguments, Mahmood A Sheikh, counsel for the British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh sought acquittal of his client as he claimed that there was no evidence against him and the case of prosecution was a pack of lies. He argued that there was delay in the FIR and that the case laws favour his client. He contended that the date of arrest of the accused persons was contradictory and this also nullified the recoveries made from the accused. Regarding Omer’s arrest in India, he said no charge/trial was held in India and he went there just like a tourist.

The court directed the counsel to submit replies on the letter and the news clippings alleging Omer’s link to militant groups before the next hearing.