But the Sindh High Court (SHC) in April acquitted him, a move that stunned the US government, Pearl’s family and journalism advocacy groups. The acquittal is now being appealed separately by the government and Pearl’s family, a process that under the law could take years. Faisal Siddiqi, who is representing Pearl’s family, said he was surprised by the four-week adjournment, saying he had asked for an expeditious handling of the case. Pearl, 38, was the South Asia bureau chief for Wall Street Journal when he was abducted in Karachi in January 2002 while researching a story about religious extremists in the city. Omer Sheikh was arrested in 2002 and sentenced to death by the trial court.

Source: Pakistan Today October 23, 2020 03:33 UTC