Daniel Pearl murder case: Death Sentences to key accused
Karachi: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday commuted the death sentences of the key accused in the case of slain American journalist Daniel Pearl, who was abducted and beheaded in Pakistan in 2002.
The death sentence of the prime accused Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh was commuted to seven years in prison while the other three convicts, Fahad Naseem, Salman Saqib and Sheikh Adil, who were earlier handed life sentences, were set free by the court, Dawn news said in a report.
Since Sheikh has been in prison for the past 18 years, his seven-year sentence will be counted from the time served and was expected to be released, the report further said. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) had sentenced to death prime accused Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh, commonly known as Shaikh Omar, and life term to co-accused Fahad Naseem, Salman Saqib and Sheikh Adil for the abduction of the slain journalist. (IANS)