Daniel Pearl case: SC allows shifting Omer Saeed Shaikh to Lahore’s Lakhpat Jail

According to details, a three-judge bench, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, directed the Punjab chief secretary to appear before court over the next hearing.

During the proceedings, an additional advocate general told the bench that the accused had moved a petition to shift him to Punjab.

Court ordered the government to provide all facilities to accused due to the continued detention of Omar Saeed Shaikh and other accused despite their acquittal in case.

Later, court adjourned the hearing for two weeks.

Background

In February, 2021, the apex court ordered to shift Omar Sheikh, the prime suspect in Daniel Pearl murder case from a death cell to a state rest house.

SC ordered that all detainees in the case should be brought to a common barrack of jail for two days after which they should be kept at a government rest house.

On January 28, 2021 Supreme Court had dismissed the appeal of the Sindh government and acquitted prime accused of the 2002 murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl.

A three member bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Yahya Afridi announced the verdict over the appeal of Sindh government against the Sindh High Court (SHC) April 2020 decision and ordered release of British national Ahmad Omar Sheikh.

On December 24, 2020 the Sindh High Court had declared the notification of detention of four accused as null and void in Daniel Pearl murder case.

Court while ordering immediate release of Ahmed Omer Saeed Shaikh, co-accused Salman Saqib, Fahad Naseem and Sheikh Adil, directed relevant authorities to put their names on the Exit Control List (ECL).

Sindh Home Department had kept the accused under detention even after SHC had ordered to release them.

The Hyderabad’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in 2002 had handed death sentence to main accused Ahmed Omer Saeed Shaikh and life sentence to other three accused after finding them guilty of abducting and killing Daniel Pearl.

On April 02, 2020, the decision of ATC was overturned by SHC commuted the death sentence of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh to seven years and acquitted three others who were serving life terms.

Daniel Pearl was on an assignment in Karachi in January 2002, when he was abducted and slain.