HYDERABAD: Mariane Pearl dropped as prosecution witness
By Our Correspondent
HYDERABAD, June 5: The prosecution in the Daniel Pearl kidnapping-cum-murder case dropped Mariane Pearl as its witness following a written statement filed in the Anti-terrorism Court on her behalf stating that she was unable to travel to Pakistan or London for an indefinite period.
Barrister M. Jamil, counsel for the slain journalist’s wife, filed the statement here on Wednesday.
She is the 15th witness dropped by the prosecution another one being the former presiding officer of the case, Arshad Noor Khan who, earlier, had not been allowed by the Sindh High Court to depose in the case.
The prosecution has so far produced 23 witnesses including two FBI agents and a US consulate official.
The prosecution’s application seeking appointment of a commission to record Mariane Pearl’s statement in London has been rendered infructuous after the filing of her fresh statement by her counsel.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, the cross-examination of an investigation officer, Rao Aslam, was completed whereas examination-in-chief of another investigation officer, Hameedullah Memon, was started.
Later, the Chief Prosecutor and AG Sindh, Raja Qureshi, told newsmen that he had no choice but to drop Mariane Pearl as PW as she was unable to travel. However, he added, her non-examination would neither harm nor help the prosecution case at this point of the time because she was not an eyewitness to the kidnapping or murder. He said that she was an important PW because the FIR was lodged by her and that she had produced some e-mails before the court which were now the case properties. He said that the proceedings had to be completed within a stipulated time and the court could not wait for her appearance for an indefinite period as her statement pointed out.
Regarding appointment of commission to record Mariane Pearl’s statement in France, Mr Qureshi acknowledged that the application was rendered infructuous because Pakistan and France had no treaty to allow such a commission in that country.
The Defence Counsel, Rai Basheer Ahmed, told newsmen that Mariane Pearl’s withdrawal from the PW list had demolished the foundation of entire case. He said that there was no one left now to endorse the testimony of PW, Nasir Abbas, a taxi driver. Rai Basheer recalled that Mariane Pearl had claimed that her husband had gone in the taxi in her presence.
Meanwhile, the ATC Judge, Syed Ali Ashraf Shah, made the cross-examination of the IO, Hameedullah Memon, subject to the announcement of an order by a division bench of the Sindh High Court, Karachi, on a criminal revision application filed by the Advocate General Sindh otherwise the trial would come to a standstill.
Partly allowing the application of the Defence Counsel, Rai Basheer Ahmed, about the suspension of proceedings till that announcement, the judge adjourned the matter till Thursday.
