Islamabad (Web Desk): The federal government intends to formally join the review proceedings initiated by the Sindh government against the acquittal of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the prime accused in murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl.
A spokesman of the Attorney General of Pakistan said on Saturday that the federal government will also be filing an appropriate application before the Supreme Court, seeking permission to become a party in the proceedings of review and recall of the top court’s Jan 28 verdict.
On Thursday, the SC rejected Sindh government’s petition against the order of the Sindh High Court (SHC) overturning the conviction of the prime accused in the murder of American journalist.
A three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Justice Mushir Alam also ordered to release the accused.
Earlier, the SHC overturned the conviction of prime accused Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh in the kidnapping and killing of Wall Street Journal reporter.
A two-member bench comprising justice KK Agha and Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi announced a verdict on appeals filed by Sheikh, a British national, and co-accused against the conviction in 2002.
Sheikh has already spent 18 years in prison on death row and the seven-year sentence was expected to be counted as time served.
The court also acquitted three others accused in the case: Fahad Naseem, Sheikh Adil, and Salman Saqib, who were earlier sentenced to life in prison.
The SHC further dismissed an appeal of the state seeking enhancement of life term of three co-accused.
Pearl, 38, was the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal when he was abducted in Karachi in January 2002 while researching a story about religious extremists in Karachi.