The Sindh government’s counsel Farooq H. Naek on Wednesday tried to convince the Supreme Court that the kidnapping and subsequent cold-blooded murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl was part of events related to international terrorism.

To substantiate the claim, he cited the testimony of principal accused Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh who, during the recording of his evidence before the trial court on March 2, 2002, had expressed apprehension that he might be extradited to the United States. Sheikh had also warned that if he was extradited, the US would suffer in the same way as did India.

The counsel said one of the defence witnesses, Rauf Ahmed Sheikh — a close relative of the principal accused — had admitted in his testimony that this was in his knowledge that Omer Sheikh was arrested by the Indian authorities and also tried in India but later released on account of the hijacking of an Indian Airlines aircraft in 1999. However, the witness had stated that he was not sure whether Omer Sheikh was released in consequences of the demand made by the hijackers of the Indian aircraft for his release.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1593635/pearls-murder-was-related-to-international-terrorism-court-told