The Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down the Sindh government’s request to further extend the detention period of the four accused in US journalist Daniel Pearl's murder case.
During the hearing, Sindh prosecutor general asked the court to be granted some time to prepare his case, and requested that detention of the four accused be extended.
However, the three-judge bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam dismissed the request, stating that the Sindh government has already had the detention extended by three months and the court could not extend it further.
In exercise of power vested under West Pakistan of Maintenance Public Order Ordinance 1960, the provincial government extended the detention of the accused, namely Ahmed Sheikh, Fahad Nasim Ahmed, Syed Salman Saqib and Sheikh Muhammad Adil, thrice.
Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed wondered why the provincial government wants to detain the accused persons after the Sindh High Court's judgment.
Mahmood Sheikh, counsel for the accused persons, stated that accused Ahmad Sheikh who was awarded a seven-year punishment, has spent 18 years in jail.
The hearing of the case was adjourned till October 21.
In April, the SHC had commuted the death sentence of the man convicted of kidnapping and murdering the American journalist in 2002 to seven years, and acquitted three others who were serving life terms in the case – almost two decades after they were found guilty and jailed.
However, the accused persons are yet to be released.
