ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday adjourned hearing of a case against the acquittal of accused persons by the Sindh High Court (SHC) in the American journalist Daniel Pearl’s murder case till Wednesday.

A three-member special bench of the apex court headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Yahya Afridi heard the appeals filed by the government and parents of the journalist challenging the acquittal of the previously convicted men.

Advocate Farooq H. Naek, counsel for the Sindh government, informed the court that four people, including Omar Sheikh, the main accused, had been arrested and seven were absconding in the case. He said Pearl was a reporter for the leading American magazine The Wall Street Journal.

He said the accused kidnapped the American journalist and demanded ransom from his wife via e-mail.

He said the accused killed Pearl when their demand was not met. The accused also released a video of Pearl’s murder, which spread fear and terror in society, the counsel said.

An Anti-Terrorism Court in Hyderabad had sentenced the accused to death. The counsel would continue his arguments on Wednesday.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2020