KARACHI, Nov 24: A division bench of the High Court of Sindh, comprising Justice Rehmat Hussain Jaffery and Justice Yasmeen Abbasey, on Friday put off hearing of appeals filed by the accused and by the state in Daniel Pearl kidnapping-murder case.

The bench adjourned the hearing in appeals against the conviction of the appellants and the state's appeal for an enhancement of the sentence of co-accused.

When the appeals were taken up, the court was informed about non-availability of the counsel representing the three co-accused.

The four convicts include Ahmed Omar Shaikh and his accomplices Salman Saqib, Fahad Naseem and Adil Sheikh, moved the court against their convictions. The state is seeking enhancement of life terms into capital punishment for the three co-accused.

The accused were tried and convicted by an ATC on July 15, 2002, following their trial at Hyderabad Jail, for masterminding the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal's reporter Daniel Pearl. The proceedings will resume on December 11.—APP