KARACHI, March 8: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of an appeal filed by Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh and others against their conviction in a kidnapping and killing case of US journalist Daniel Pearl on a request by the defence counsel.

The matter could not proceed on Tuesday as Abdul Waheed Katpar, advocate, refused to continue arguments in an appeal submitting he had instructions from his client for not proceeding the case. He, however, sought time for further instructions. The adjournment was opposed by Special Prosecutor Raja Qureshi.

SHC's division bench, comprising Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Justice Azizullah M Memon, fixed March 15 for the next hearing. Ahmed Omer Sheikh was sentenced to death on charges of kidnapping and killing US journalist, and his three accomplices Fahad Naseem, Syed Salman Saqib and Sheikh Mohammad Adil were sentenced to life imprisonment, with fine of Rs500,000 each by an ATC in Hyderabad on July 15, 2002.-PPI