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India-Pakistan | |||
Pakistan seeks review of acquittals in Daniel Pearl murder case | |||
2021-01-30 | |||
[Guardian] Pakistan’s government has appealed to the supreme court to review its decision to free a British-born Islamist and three others convicted of beheading the American journalist Daniel Pearl, a day after the US expressed “deep concerns” over the ruling.
The government in southern Sindh province filed a petition asking the top court to review its decision, said the Pearl family’s lawyer, Faisal Siddiqi, and a government prosecutor. “We have filed three review petitions,” said the prosecutor, Faiz Shah, explaining that the petitions would seek a reversal of the acquittal and the reinstatement of Sheikh’s death penalty. “Being aggrieved of and dissatisfied with the judgment, the petitioner files an instant criminal review petition for leave to appeal on matters of law, facts and grounds,” the petition read. The release orders would stand irrespective of the review petition, said the provincial law minister, Murtaza Wahab. “We haven’t received the release orders yet,” he said, adding that the Islamists were not likely to be freed over the weekend, as it usually takes some days for court orders to be sent to prison authorities. Pearl, 38, was investigating Islamist militants in Karachi after the September 11 attacks on the US when he was kidnapped. A video of his beheading emerged weeks later. Related: Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh: 2021-01-29 US ‘prepared to prosecute’ man acquitted in Pakistan of murdering Daniel Pearl Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh: 2021-01-28 Man convicted, then acquitted, over Daniel Pearl’s murder now admits ‘minor’ role Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh: 2020-12-31 US poised to take custody of alleged killer of Daniel Pearl | |||
Posted by:Steve White |