HYDERABAD, Jan 18: Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh, who is facing capital punishment in the Daniel Pearl murder case, was shifted to Karachi on Sunday from where he would be shifted to Islamabad, sources told Dawn.

They said Omer Sheikh was likely to be interrogated in Islamabad in connection with ongoing investigations in two attempts made on the life of President Musharraf last month.

Omer Sheikh's shifting was kept a closely-guarded secret and senior officials were reluctant to state anything in this record. The sources said Omer Sheikh was taken out of his cell in the central prison on Sunday morning and under tight security taken to Hyderabad airport where he boarded a helicopter destined for Karachi at around 2pm.

He was accompanied by senior police officials, including DPO Investigations Fareed Jan Sarhandi and Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) In-charge Zulfiqar Arain.

The sources said Omer Sheikh would be taken to Islamabad where he would be interrogated in connection with attacks made on the life of President Musharraf last month and for links with Al Qaeda.