Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The Supreme Court on Monday turned down the Sindh government’s request for the suspension of the Sindh High Court’s decision to overturn the conviction of Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh, who had allegedly kidnapped and killed Wall Street Journal bureau chief Daniel Pearl. A three-judge bench comprising Justice Mushir Alam, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Yahya Afridi took up the Sindh government’s petition in which it had requested the top court to consider hearing the challenge to the April 2 decision during or soon after the summer vacations, which usually end in the first week of October.
In its appeal, the Sindh government had urged the apex court to set aside the SHC order that modified the sentence of Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh to seven years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs2 million. The government expressed the apprehension that the accused could abscond along with other co-accused after the SHC modified the sentence of Sheikh and acquitted three co-conspirators.
