Sindh govt to appeal Omar Sheikh's acquittal in Daniel Pearl murder

The Sindh government on Thursday announced it will file a review petition against the Supreme Court's decision to acquit Omar Sheikh, who was convicted of masterminding the kidnap and brutal murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl.

The Supreme Court rejected appeals filed by the Sindh government and ordered the release of Sheikh.

The provincial government had approached the top court against an order of the Sindh High Court (SHC) overturning the conviction of Sheikh in the 2002 incident that occurred in Karachi.

Read more: A timeline of the Daniel Pearl case

A three-member bench of the SC headed by Justice Mushir Alam announced the verdict with a 2-1 majority.

In a statement following the verdict, Sindh information minister Nasir Hussain Shah said that the provincial government "has decided to go for a review on the orders of the Supreme Court".

"Omar Sheikh has admitted his involvement in the Daniel Pearl murder case," he added.

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Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Attorney-General for Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan said that the federal government is in contact with the Sindh government over the matter.

He acknowledged that a review petition will be filed, asking the Supreme Court to rescind the release orders of Sheikh and his associates.

"The federal government will provide the provincial government with every possible legal assistance in the matter," the spokesperson added.

It is not clear how long it will take for the petition to be filed.