KARACHI: The Supreme Court is conducting day-to-day hearings on an appeal filed by the Sindh government challenging the decision of the Sindh High Court on the appeals of four men in US journalist Daniel Pearl’s abduction and murder case.

Advocate General Sindh Salman Talibuddin submitted this before a two-judge SHC bench during the hearing of an application moved by the four men seeking contempt proceedings against the provincial authorities for keeping them in detention despite their acquittal in the case.

Petitioners Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, Fahad Naseem, Salman Saqib and Sheikh Adil through their lawyers had moved the SHC last month seeking contempt proceedings against the provincial and jail authorities for not setting them free despite court orders.

In the last hearing, the bench had asked the provincial law officer to advance arguments as to whether the Supreme Court’s order still holds the field regarding detention of the four men.

On Wednesday, the AG appeared in court and submitted that the appeal against the acquittal of the petitioners was fixed before the SC, which was proceeding with the same on a day-to-day basis.

By consent of the parties, the bench adjourned the hearing till Feb 3.

Additional chief secretary for home Dr Mohammad Chachar, special secretary for home Aamir Abbasi and SSPs of the central prisons of Karachi and Sukkur Raja Mumtaz and Muhammad Hassan Sahito appeared before the bench.

An application for dispensation of attendance of the chief secretary for the day because of personal work was filed. The bench allowed the application.

On Jan 7, the provincial law officer had informed the SHC that the SC while hearing the appeals filed by the Sindh government and parents of the slain journalist against the SHC order for setting aside the trial court order on Sept 28 had issued a restraining order against the release of the petitioners till next hearing.

However, he had claimed that the restraining order of the SC still held the field since it had not been expressly vacated or varied by the apex court.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2021