HYDERABAD, May 16: The defence lawyers of four accused in Daniel Pearl kidnapping-cum-murder case here on Thursday disputed veracity and validity of the video cassette and e-mails’ attachments, brought on court record by two FBI special agents, during cross-examination of the FBI men.

The lawyers claimed that the video was prepared with the help of modern computer and camera technology.

The court rose for the day to take up an application of Advocate General, Sindh, Raja Qureshi, seeking constitution of a commission to go to London to record statement of Marine Pearl, pregnant widow of deceased journalist.

Abdul Waheed Katpar, counsel for Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh, filed objections on the said application, praying for its rejection.

The FBI officials, who were subjected to extensive cross-examination lasting for over seven hours, were brought to Hydera0bad Central Jail amidst tight security.

Both the officials were accompanied by two other US nationals whose identity could not be ascertained. They were also present in the court.

The defence counsels, Katpar and Rai Basheer Ahmed, argued the witness did not disclose from where he received the video cassette and who had prepared it.

Similarly, Katpar claimed that the forensic examiner Ronald Joseph had said that he had received the laptop at the US consulate while he came to Pakistan on Feb 4. He said the FBI agent admitted that the computer was not sealed.

Ahmed, counsel for Salman Saqib, Fahad Naseem and Sheikh Adil, said he made FBI official John Moligan concede before the court that video cassette, produced by him, could be prepared through modern technology, devices and computer.

Noting an anomaly in Moligan’s statement, the advocate claimed the ticket of FBI official showed that he had gone to Bangkok from Karachi on Jan 31 whereas the FBI official said he had arrived from USA to Karachi on Feb 4.

He said the attachments and computer files of e-mails showed they were transmitted for informing news agencies and other organizations Pearl was being released. He added they did not relate to ransom demand.

Ahmed said he told Moligan actually the video cassette was prepared by Inspector Hameedullah Memon, the investigating officer of the case, as it bore names of Memon and Faisal Noor, adding the cassette was sealed by Memon before being handed over to FBI agent.

The counsel said the words, Palestine, Afghanistan and Kashmir, which appeared on the screen, were inserted in the video through computer.

This fact was admitted by Moligan, the lawyer said, adding FBI official said he received the video copy near Sheraton hotel but he did not try to interrogate the man who gave it to him.

The prosecution witness Ronald Joseph told the counsel he secured three files from computer, JPG1, JPG2 and JPG3, but the FBI official provided five files with his report.

The FBI official told the counsel he took photographs while he was taking out hard disk and then inserted it in the computer but admitted he did not attach the photographs with his report.

The counsel said 64 attachments obtained by the FBI official from computer were entire data of hard-disk and not alone of e-mails.

He said it had not been established from where the laptop was obtained.

Joseph also stated he was provided photo copies of e- mails and photographs of Pearl before he examined the laptop, the counsel said.

The counsel said Joseph also admitted data secured from the laptop could be inserted by FBI, police or anyone else before it was handed over to him for examination and asserted FBI official also did not know how many people kept the laptop with them earlier.