HYDERABAD, July 15: Advocate-General Sindh Raja Qureshi said on Monday that if instructed by the government he would approach the Sindh High Court for enhancement of sentence for co-accused in Daniel Pearl case — Syed Salman Saqib, Sheikh Adil and Fahad Naseem — from life imprisonment to capital punishment.
Talking to newsmen after judgment in the Daniel Pearl case was announced, the AG said he was partly satisfied and partly dissatisfied with the verdict.
He said during the trial of the case overwhelming and incriminating evidence had been brought on record.
Raja Qureshi said the court held that the offences committed by the accused were acts of national and international terrorism. The AG said he felt that objectives of justice had been achieved in the wake of conviction and added that the verdict would convey the message that acts of terrorism, here and abroad, were to be controlled with an iron hand.
He stated if instructed by the government he would file an appeal seeking enhancement of sentence of three co-accused. He said in his view equal sentence should have been awarded to each accused.
To a question, the AG said the appeal of forum for the accused was a division bench of the Sindh High court and thereafter it would be a leave to appeal petition before the apex court.
Responding to allegations by the relatives of the accused about the government’s pressure on the ATC judge, he said it was their own way of thinking and asked why should there be any pressure.
Raja Qureshi made it clear that there was no intervention whatsoever from any quarter and the trial was held in accordance with the provisions of by the ATA.
To a query that what were the basic points of prosecution that convinced the ATC judge to award capital punishment to Omer Sheikh, he said it was the cross-examination of defence witnesses — Raoof Sheikh and Saeed Ahmed Sheikh — maternal uncle and father of Omer Sheikh.
He elaborated that in the cross-examination both these witnesses conceded that Omer Sheikh was involved in the kidnapping of four foreigners in India and he was released from Tihar Jail on the demands of the hijackers of an Indian airliner.
To another question, the AG said the court accepted the charges of conspiracy of kidnapping, murder and destruction of evidence. He said it was the quality of evidence that led to the conviction of accused. He said the case of absconding accused would be separated and tried after their arrest.
