Pakistan Interior Minister Brigadier Ijaz Ahmed Shah played role in acquittal of convict

Washington: Pakistan’s Minister for Interior and former chief of its internal spy agency Brigadier Ijaz Ahmed Shah may have played a role in the acquittal of Omer Sheikh, the terrorist whose death sentence was commuted in the Daniel Pearl beheading case.

A Sindh court on Thursday commuted the death sentence of the British-born terrorist and a dropout of London School of Economics, Sheikh, a prime accused in the kidnapping and decapitation of Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl 18 years ago, to seven years in prison. Since Sheikh has already spent 18 years in jail, the prison term is considered completed.

Investigators in Washington who have been following the case closely said that Ijaz Shah shares a good relationship with Omar Sheikh, which goes way back to their friendship between their families. Both Shah and Sheikh come from the same village, Nankana Sahib in Punjab province, sources said.

As a powerful chief of Intelligence Bureau, Shah was the “point-man” of the Pakistani Army to talk and negotiate with all the wanted criminals and terrorists. “Sheikh turned himself in, at Shah’s behest in February 2002 when police were trying to arrest him,” sources said.

Shah and the ISI, sources said, kept Sheikh in secret custody for a week, not even telling the Pakistani counter-terrorism police. “Sheikh’s turnover to police was rigged, as is the Sindh court to free him,” sources said. (IANS)

Also Read: People suffering food shortage in Pakistan ask Army to help

Also Watch: Hagrama Mohilary organizes a press-meet on Coronavirus situation and distribution of Rations