July 16, 2002	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 5, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

HYDERABAD, July 15: Saeed Ahmed Sheikh, father of Omer Sheikh who has been sentenced to death in Daniel Pearl kidnapping and murder case, said on Monday: “The verdict proves that the judiciary in Pakistan is not independent.”

Talking to Dawn at the Central Prison here after meeting his convicted son, he expressed his disappointment and frustration over the verdict terming it ‘absolutely unexpected’.

He recalled President Musharraf’s remarks in his interview with a German newspaper that he wanted to see Omer Sheikh hanged. Saeed Sheikh said: “The president had sentenced my son to death even before the trial.”

He insisted that the court was under pressure.

Saeed Sheikh said that he would challenge the verdict in high court adding that Omer had been implicated in the false case which was full of concoctions. He hoped that the SHC would acquit his son if a fair trial was held.

He said that there were substantial evidences against the prosecution claims and added that prosecution witnesses also contradicted with each other in their deposition. He claimed that the US pressure was involved in the judgement.

Syed Abdul Rauf, father of the other convict Salman Saqib, said that his son and the other convicts were in high spirits.

He told newsmen that he was exercising patience as enshrined in Holy Quran.

“I am happy because I was expecting such a judgement,” he said adding that without pinning any high expectations, he would move high court against the verdict.

The judge, he said, did not stay for more than two seconds after announcing his judgement, he pointed.

Sheikh Aslam, brother of another convict Adil Sheikh, came out of the jail smilingly and told newsmen that he was happy and did not intend to file an appeal against the verdict.

“They are Mujahideen. It makes no difference for them to remain in jail or continue their fight on a front. We would see US,” he declared.

He warned that it was America’s time but Mujahideen’s turn was due.

“All the convicts are happy,” he pointed out and warned that there would be a public reaction to the verdict.