A Pakistani court on Thursday ordered the immediate release of the four suspects in journalist Daniel Pearl’s beheading murder — defying its own government, which had demanded they stay behind bars.
NY Post Sindh High Court issued a written order for accused mastermind Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and alleged cohorts Fahad Naseem, Sheikh Adil and Salman Saqib to be “released from jail forthwith,” according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
British-born suspect Sheikh was sentenced to death in 2002 for the kidnapping and beheading of the Wall Street Journal reporter in January that year, a gruesome crime that was filmed and sent to the US consulate. The other three suspects were all sentenced to life in prison.
In April this year, the same provincial court that ordered their release Thursday had overturned the murder convictions and sentences, a move that stunned the US government, Pearl’s family and journalism advocacy groups.
Sheikh’s conviction was downgraded to kidnapping, which carries a maximum of seven years in jail, less than he had already served, the Wall Street Journal said.
Pakistan’s government ordered that they remain behind bars until appeals were heard, singling out Sheikh as a specific danger if released.
Faisal Siddiqi, a lawyer for Pearl’s family, said the Sindh provincial government is appealing the order to release Sheikh. The acquittals are now being appealed separately by both the Pakistani government and Pearl’s family. The Supreme Court will resume its hearing on Jan. 5.
Pearl, a 38-year-old reporter from Encino, California, was abducted Jan. 23, 2002, in Karachi while investigating ties between Pakistani militants and “shoe bomber” Richard Reid.
In Sheikh’s original trial, emails showed he gained Pearl’s confidence by sharing their experiences waiting for the birth of their first child, with Pearl’s wife giving birth to their son, Adam, four months after the murder.
Sheikh, a seasoned jihadist who studied at the London School of Economics, was arrested days after Pearl’s kidnapping and later sentenced to death by hanging. Pearl’s widow had long predicted he would never be killed that way, however.
Some say Pearl was murdered by Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. Mohammed was arrested in Pakistan in 2003 and is being held in Guantanamo Bay.
It cost the free western nations a lot to keep these criminals incarcerated in Paki prisons. Pakistan keeps them imprisoned, not for their guilt, but for the aid, grants, charity etc., that they get from us in return. The heck with it. It would be far more cheaper, and more of a permanent solution – to allow such vermin to go free, and shoot them down with drones! We should stop fooling ourselves that Pakistan is a Democracy! We should stop cheating out people by showcasing Pakis as our allies! Heck, Pearl is not even seen as an American by the Pakis. For them first and foremost he is a Jew, and one need not say anything more about the Muslim hatred for Jews!
As for Daniel Pearl I can’t help but think of the old saw: “Fools rush in where angels dare to tread.”
we ought to give Pakistan billions for gender studies…
Where’s Ghoulish to ‘splain to us how they don’t jail their valuable skilled craftsmen?
He says he’s taking a Time Out from BNI.
He couldn’t stand the unpopularity. Muslums have to feel superior to “infidels”.
Bible, Romans 12:19
“VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.
Quran (8:12) … “I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them”
For many decades, UK leaders heavily colonized the tiny nation of Britain with Muslims from the Huge Third World. Most of the Muslims are from Pakistan.
Unless mass deportations of Muslims is undertaken in Britain and Europe, full Sharia will be enforced in Britain and Europe within just years.
Massive numbers of beheadings of intensely hated white European Jews and Christians will take place. It’s what Islam teaches.
Non Muslims are regarded as guilty to be beheaded for the sole reason the innocents don’t believe in barbarian WARLORD Mohammad’s cruel god of MASS MURDER
Pakistan, the “so-called” ally that we invested trillions of dollars to help the coalition of the willing. All the time hiding Osama “obama” Bin Laden. When will this country ever learn? Countries like Turkey, Pakistan, and Iran will never be peaceful, and are a true and present danger. We need to kick Turkey out of NATO. We need to sever ties with Pakistan, closed the embassy and move all westerners out of that hell hole. Iran can be contained with severe sanctions and the continued support of Israel.
And yet US taxpayers are forking over their hard-earned tax dollars to the moslame cretins that run Porkistain.
President Trump should order the American military to arrange a meeting between murderer Sheikh and the One True Judge.
The moslames in Porkistan should be bombed back into the Stone Age — and they wouldn’t even notice the difference anyway since they’re already halfway there.
You’re right, Muhaha. Most of Islamoland is Like 600 AD. What’s a few bombs?
Pakistan is a rogue country, teeming with Muslum cockroaches, swarming everywhere. They don’t know what ‘civilized’ is. You can not expect justice there.