Reports from Pakistani news.,
"we'll see who will die first, me or the authorities who have arranged the death sentence for me." THE CONVICT
..The Anti-terrorism Court Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas division Monday sentenced Sheikh Omar to death for abducting and murdering Daniel Pearl and sentenced life imprisonment and 5 lac rupees fine to three co-accused named Salman Saqib,Fahad Nasim and Shaikh Mohammad Adil involved in the kidnapping and murdering Wall Street journalist Daniel Pearl on 23rd January, a court official told.
According to details, The court announced the judgement inside the court while the Chief Prosecutor and Advocate General Sindh Raja Qureshi conveyed the court judgement to journalists waiting outside at 1059 am.
The accused have been convicted on charges of conspiracy, kidnapping for ransom, murder and destruction of evidence. The court judgement is spread over fifty five pages. Raja Qureshi further told the newsmen that the defence has the right to file an appeal against the court judgement before the High Court of Sindh within seven days. Pakistani authorities braced for a violent reaction by Islamic extremists, already angry over President Pervez Musharraf's support for the United States in the war against terrorism.
A Pakistani judge on Monday convicted four Islamic militants in the kidnap-slaying of Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl and sentenced the British-born chief defendant to death. The others received 25 year sentences.
Judge Ali Ashraf Shah handed down the verdict against chief defendant Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and the others — Salman Saqib, Fahad Naseem and Shaikh Adil — in the heavily guarded jail where the trial was held after it was moved from Karachi for security reasons. Defense lawyers said they would appeal.
In a statement read to reporters by his lawyer, Saeed said, "we'll see who will die first, me or the authorities who have arranged the death sentence for me."
"Musharraf should know that Almighty Allah is there and can get his revenge," said Saeed, who was moved to the prison's death row along with 79 other condemned inmates. "Now the jihad (holy war) between Islam and non-Muslims is going on and everybody is showing whether he is in favor of Islam or in favor of the non-believers."
The defendants were also collectively fined $32,000. Chief prosecutor Raja Quereshi said the money would go to Pearl's widow Mariane and their infant son, who was born after his father was killed.
Seven more suspects, including those who apparently killed Pearl, remain at large. |
