Daniel Pearl murder: Biden administration ‘outraged’ over acquittal of Omar Sheikh by Supreme Court

• The White House says the ruling is "an affront to terrorism victims everywhere".
• The Sindh government has announced that it will file a review petition against the Supreme Court's decision.
• Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the US is prepared to prosecute in the United States.

WASHINGTON: The administration of President Joe Biden Thursday was “outraged” over the acquittal of prime accused in Danel Pearl murder by the Supreme of Pakistan.

The White House is "outraged by the Pakistani Supreme Court’s decision," chief spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters, calling the ruling "an affront to terrorism victims everywhere" and demanded the Pakistani government "review its legal options."

The authorities in Pakistan have already announced that they will file the review petition in the apex court against the verdict.

The White House statement came after Supreme Court upheld the acquittal of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who had been convicted of masterminding the brutal murder of Pearl, the South Asia bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, by religious extremists in 2002.

Pearl’s killing -- which was filmed -- caused international shock and outrage.

Read more: Omar Shiekh admits role in murder of Daniel Pearl

"The court has come out to say that there is no offense that he (Sheikh) has committed in this case," Mahmood Sheikh, who represented the accused, told AFP.

A court order said that Sheikh along with three accomplices connected to the case should "be released forthwith," though it was not clear when that would happen.

Pearl was researching a story about militants when he was abducted in Karachi in January 2002.

Nearly a month later, after a string of ransom demands, a graphic video showing his decapitation was given to officials.

Sheikh, a British-born extremist who once studied at the London School of Economics and had been involved in previous kidnappings of foreigners, was arrested days after Pearl’s abduction.

He was later sentenced to death by hanging after telling a Karachi court that Pearl had already been killed days before the gruesome video of the journalist’s beheading had been released.

Read more: A timeline of the Daniel Pearl case

Pearl’s family on Thursday called the decision to free him "a travesty of justice" and pleaded for US intervention in the case.

"The release of these killers puts in danger journalists everywhere and the people of Pakistan. We urge the US government to take all necessary actions under the law to correct this injustice," the family said in a statement.

Review petition

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has announced that it will file a review petition against the Supreme Court's decision.

The provincial government had approached the top court against an order of the Sindh High Court (SHC) overturning the conviction of Sheikh in the 2002 incident that occurred in Karachi.

A three-member bench of the SC headed by Justice Mushir Alam announced the verdict with a 2-1 majority.

In a statement following the verdict, Sindh information minister Nasir Hussain Shah said that the provincial government "has decided to go for a review on the orders of the Supreme Court".

"Omar Sheikh has admitted his involvement in the Daniel Pearl murder case," he added.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Attorney-General for Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan said that the federal government is in contact with the Sindh government over the matter.

He acknowledged that a review petition will be filed, asking the Supreme Court to rescind the release orders of Sheikh and his associates.

"The federal government will provide the provincial government with every possible legal assistance in the matter," the spokesperson added.

It is not clear how long it will take for the petition to be filed.

US ready to prosecute

In a separate statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US is prepared to prosecute in the United States the man acquitted by top court of the murder of American journalist.