SC rejects plea to suspend acquittal of accused in Daniel Pearl murder case
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ISLAMABAD-The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the plea to suspend acquittal of accused by the Sindh High Court (SHC) in American Journalist Daniel Pearl murder case.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Mushir Alam heard the Sindh government's plea against SHC order.
During the course of proceedings, Advocate Farooq H Naek counsel for the Sindh government said that the accused were international terrorists and they had been placed under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).
Justice Yahya Afridi questioned how the accused could be termed as terrorists after their acquittal.
The Sindh government lawyer said that one of the accused had been working with the terrorist organization in India and the other in Afghanistan. The release of the accused could have serious repercussions, he added.
Justice Yahya Afridi asked the counsel to keep in mind that the accused had been acquitted by a court.
The counsel for the accused said that how could such a statement be made before the Supreme Court? The accused had not seen the sun for 18 years, he added.
Regarding the suspension of the verdict, Justice Mushir Alam asked how the acquittal order could be suspended without a good reason. Only if there was a flaw in the decision could it be suspended, he added.
He said that the government could extend the MPO if it wanted.
Later, the court adjourned the case till September.
