SC turns down Sindh govt plea to extend detention of accused in Daniel Pearl murder case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down the Sindh government’s request to further extend the detention period of the four accused in Daniel Pearl's murder case.

A three-member bench of the court headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed heard the case filed by the Sindh government and the parents of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

Justice Mushir Alam said that the Sindh government had already extended the detention by three months and the court could not extend it further.

During the course of proceedings, Sindh prosecutor general Dr Fayyaz Shah pleaded the court to grant some time to prepare his case, and requested that detention of the four accused be extended.

He said that his office received the court order on October 5, so the documents could not be prepared.

Shah said that main appeals had been filed in the case but time was required to submit further documents.

Read more: A timeline of the Daniel Pearl case

The Sindh government, in exercise of power vested under West Pakistan of Maintenance Public Order Ordinance 1960, extended the detention of the accused, namely Ahmed Sheikh, Fahad Nasim Ahmed, Syed Salman Saqib and Sheikh Muhammad Adil, thrice.

Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed asked why the provincial government wanted to detain the accused persons after the Sindh High Court's judgment.

Mahmood Sheikh, counsel for the accused persons said that accused Ahmad Sheikh who was awarded a seven-year punishment, has spent 18 years in jail.

The court directed the Prosecutor General Sindh and other lawyers to appear at the next hearing with full preparation of the case.

It adjourned the hearing of the Sindh government appeal till October 21.