WASHINGTON: United States top official strongly respond over the Pakistanicourt decision on American journalist Daniel Pearl murder case.
United States (US) on Saturday lauded the Pakistani government’s decisionto file an appeal against Sindh High Court (SHC) decision to overturn deathand prison sentences of convicts in American journalist Daniel Pearl murdercase.
In a message posted on the twitter account of Alice Wells, Principal DeputyAssistant Secretary at the State Department’s Bureau of South and CentralAsian Affairs (SCA), the US welcomed a statement from the country on thematter on April 03 and the decision from Sindh government.
The message attributed to Alice Wells read: “We welcome Pakistan’s April 3statement and the Sindh government’s decision to continue to detain thoseresponsible for Daniel Pearl’s kidnapping and murder and to mount a strongappeal.”
She said that the perpetrators of this horrific act of terrorism will notescape justice.
It is pertinent to mention here that on Friday, Sindh government decided tofile an appeal against the Sindh High Court (SHC) verdict, overturning thedeath sentence of a prime suspect, Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh and acquittal ofthree other convicts in American journalist Daniel Pearl murder case.
According to a statement issuedlink frominterior ministry, it said that the ministry was aware of the SHC decisionin Daniel Pearl murder case and the federal government had expressed itsconcern over the decision.
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It said that the provincial government has decided to move the SupremeCourt of Pakistan against the decision. “An appeal in this regard will befiled at the apex court in the next week,” the interior ministry said.
We have asked the provincial authorities to use best available resources toplead their case against the decision, it said adding that they were alsoasked to consult with attorney general of Pakistan on the matter.
Unless an appeal is filed against the accused, they would remain imprisonedunder Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO).
It is pertinent to mention here that the Sindh High Court (SHC) announcedits verdict on Thursday on the appeals filed by four convicts in the caseof the slain American journalist Daniel Pearl.
