Court accepts appeal by Pearl family
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Monday accepted an appeal by the family of slain American journalist Daniel Pearl seeking to keep a British-born Pakistani man on death row over the beheading of the Wall Street Journal reporter.
The court delayed until next week hearing the appeal over the lower-court acquittal of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who had been on death row since his conviction in
2002 over Pearl’s killing.
The Supreme Court ordered Sheikh to remain in custody, but Faisal Siddiqi, the lawyer for Pearl’s family, told The Associated Press on Monday that the court will decide next week whether Sheikh will remain imprisoned during the course of the appeal, which could be years.
The government has argued against Sheikh’s release, despite his acquittal in April, saying it would endanger the public. But the Supreme Court will rule on that next week, Siddiqi said. He said Pakistan’s top court expressed concern about keeping Sheikh locked up even though he stands acquitted.
“The appeal could take years,” said Siddiqi. “Today the court admitted the appeal and next week it will decide if Sheikh stays in jail” until the appeal is decided. The family is arguing for Sheikh’s continued incarceration.
Sheikh had been convicted of helping lure Pearl to a meeting in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi in which he was kidnapped. The lower court’s April ruling acquitted Sheikh and found him guilty on a single lesser charge of abduction, which he is also appealing.