Omar’s father fails to appear in court
HYDERABAD- The Special Anti-Terrorism Court in Central Jail, Hyderabad, adjourned the hearing in Daniel Pearl kidnapping and murder case till Monday after the father of chief suspect again failed to appear in court as one of the defence witnesses on Saturday. And the defence lawyers said that they would wrap up their case next week.
Defence lawyer Rai Bashir told newsmen outside Hyderabad prison that Sheikh Saeed, the father of British-born militant Sheikh Omar, could not appear because of illness for the second time and may appear on Monday. Bashir said he produced documentary evidence proving that Omar’s three co-defendants did not live in the house from where, police allege, they sent e-mails containing photos of Pearl and threats to kill him.
But the court rejected the evidence, which was in the form of photocopied utilities bills, demanding originals of the bills. Police also allege they arrested the three in the same house. Earlier this week, an uncle of Sheikh Omar, who is the district and sessions judge in Muzaffargarh, said his nephew had surrendered to police in his presence in Lahore on February 5, a week earlier than police said they had arrested him.
Bashir and chief prosecutor Raja Qureshi said the 10-week long trial would begin hearing the final arguments on Monday. “We settled today that if the father of Sheikh Omar appears, he will be cross-examined in the earlier part of the proceedings on Monday, after which final arguments will immediately commence,” Qureshi told reporters. “I am looking forward to completing the trial during the next week,” he added. Bashir said the defence would begin winding up their argument on Monday. “We need at least two days to complete our final argument,” he said.
Source: The News
Date:6/30/2002
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