ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court of Pakistan fixed the hearing of the Daniel Pearl murder case for January 5. Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed constituted a three-judge bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Yahya Afridi would hear the Sindh government and the appeal of Daniel Pearl’s parents against theáSindh High Court’s (SHC) judgment.

Theábench will hear the plea seeking suspension of the SHC’s judgment regarding acquitting/áreleasingáthe accusedáináPearl’s murderácase.

On April 2, 2020, theáSHC hadácommuted the death sentence of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikhá- the man convicted of kidnapping and murdering American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002á- to a seven-yearásentence.

The SHC had also acquitted three others who had been awarded life imprisonment in the case.

The slain journalist’s parentsáhad approached the Supreme Court against the Sindh High Courtĺs verdict.

Two criminal petitions have been filed by a lawyer Faisal Siddiqi on behalf ofáPearl’sáparentsá- Ruth Pearl and Judie Pearlá-against the acquittal and release of the four accused.

On previous hearing, Advocate Faisal Siddiqui counsel for Daniel Pearl’s parents had said that a bag was recovered from Umar Sheikh at the time of his arrest. There were emails, a camera, a scanner and few photos in the bag, he added.

Addressing the counsel, Justice Tariq Masood said that prosecution witnesses said that two e-mails were sent but the counsel was saying many emails were sent.

He asked the counsel that the documents, he was referring to were not produced in either the trial court or the high court.

Justice Tariq Masood said that it was surprising how these documents came in the file of the Supreme Court.

Justice Mushir Alam said that the parties had to get permission from the court before submitting any new document. The court would not see these documents right now, he added.

He said that the documents submitted to the Supreme Court would be verified.

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