Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Counsel for the parents of the slain American journalist Daniel Pearl’s parents informed the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday that the mastermind behind the murder is an international terrorist. Pearl, the then South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal was abducted in Karachi in January 2002. “The crimes which are the subject matter of these present petitions have to be understood within the context of the fact that the mastermind of these crimes, Ahmed Omar Sheikh, was an international terrorist, especially involved in other kidnappings for ransom incidents. These facts find support both from a judgment of the Indian Supreme Court, as well as the defence’s own evidence. Therefore, this context of international terrorism is crucial in adjudicating these present petitions,” the written submission – filed by counsel Faisal Siddiqui – said.
