Challan against Omar tomorrow
KARACHI- The final charge-sheet against Ahmed Omar Saeed Shaikh and others in the kidnapping and subsequent murder of the American journalist, Daniel Pearl, will be submitted before the administrative judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court on Friday.
AG Sindh Raja Qureshi, who will be part of the three-member prosecution team, said some additional facts would be included in the charge-sheet.
The decision is believed to have been taken after the whole question, including extradition request from the US, was examined at the highest level in Islamabad. The decision to try the accused in Pakistan put at rest speculations about the extradition of the main accused, Ahmed Omar Saeed Shaikh, to the US prior to the trial.
Raja Qureshi had maintained that the prosecution’s case had been established to make a complete charge and for establishing the guilt to arrive at conclusive convictions.
It is believed that experts evidence from FBI has been secured but the weapon of offence was still a big question mark. Confessional statements of the accused have been recorded, identification parade has been held, petition of the principal accused (Omar) has been disposed of by a Division Bench of the High Court on the stand taken on behalf of the state that if and when it is decided to extradite him (Omar), it would be done without contravention of the law of the land.
According to AG Sindh, hand-writing expert’s opinion has been obtained, whereas video cassette was under examination but arrests of absconding accused are yet to be made.
Legal experts, however, say none of the accused have, so far, agreed to become approver and the investigators had not yet recovered anything from them which was possessed by Daniel Pearl, to link them with his kidnapping or murder. Dead body or its remains have not yet been found.
Source: Dawn
Date:3/21/2002
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