HYDERABAD- The following is the chronology of events in the Daniel Pearl case:
Jan 23: Pearl reported missing from Karachi.
Jan 27: Wall Street Journal receives, first email from “National Movement for Restoration of Pakistan’s Sovereignty,” which includes pictures showing Daniel Pearl in captivity, demanding release of Al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners, held in Guantanamo Bay.
Jan 30: The WSJ receives second email with a 24-hour ultimatum for acceptance of demands and threat of murdering Daniel Pearl if demands were not met.
Feb 4: A formal First Information Report (FIR) is lodged at the Artillery Maidan police station in Karachi about Pearl’s kidnapping on the complaint of Mariane Pearl.
Feb 11: Police arrest three suspects for sending emails.
Feb 12: Sheikh Omar is arrested in Lahore and brought to Karachi.
Feb 14: Omer is produced before an anti-terrorism court and is remanded to police custody for 14 days. During proceedings, he discloses that Daniel Pearl is dead and he apprehends his extradition to the US and that he does not believe in colonial system of justice.
Feb 21: A video is received by the FBI agents, showing Pearl’s slaying, followed by crackdowns for search of his body.
Feb 25: The Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) extends remand of Omar for another 14 days.
March 1 to 10: Police produce accused persons before a magisterial court where Salman Saqib and Fahad Nasim make confessional statements while witnesses identify chief suspect Sheikh Omar.
March 12: Police allowed further remand of chief suspect with instruction to come-up with formal charges against him.
March 22: Police submit a formal charge sheet against Omar Sheikh, Salman Saqib, Fahad Nasim and Sheikh Adil, whereas seven others have been shown as absconders. The ATC fixes April 21 for hearing. Sindh Home department notifies trial at central prison in Karachi.
April 4: Sindh High Court rejects an application by the defence, challenging in-camera trial.
April 4: Mrs Sadia Sheikh, Omer’s wife, moves Sindh High Court to counter extradition of Omer to the United States. The court dismisses the application with assurance that his extradition will not be executed against the law of the land.
April 5: Hearing of case begins orders shifting of venue from Karachi to Hyderabad.
May 2: A convoy of rangers and police vehicles escort Omer Sheikh and co-accused, to Hyderabad jail from Karachi.
May 3: Trial resumes in Hyderabad central jail. K.M. Samdani moves Supreme Court against the order of the SHC about shifting of trial.
May 6: The ATC judge appoints two lawyers from Hyderabad to represent Salman Saqib, Fahad Naseem and Sheikh Adil, after declaring them “pauper accused” because their counsel, Rai Basheer, fails to turn-up in the court.
May 8: The ATC judge rejects defence pleas for open trial.
May 9: The Supreme Court upholds the April 30 order of the SHC.
May 11: FBI agent Ronald Joseph, produces 72 attachments of emails. judicial Magistrate, Karachi South, Erum Jahangir testifies before the ATC.
May 13: The judicial magistrate in her cross-examination claims that “confessional statements of co-accused recorded by her are not voluntary.” AG offers an opportunity to the court as well as defence to see the videocassette, filming assassination of US journalist Daniel Pearl. He, however, refuses to release copy of video to defence, saying, “It is a very sensitive and serious issue.”
May 14: The ATC judge along with accused, prosecution and defence lawyers watches the three-minute “Pearl murder video”. FBI agent John Moligan, 43, deposes before the ATC. The AG files application, seeking appointment of a commission to go abroad and record statement of Mariane Pearl.
May 15: The Anti Terrorist Court (ATC) fixes May 22 for recording evidence of former presiding judge ATC, Arshad Noor Khan, provided Sindh High Court allows him to appear as court witness.
May 16: Defence lawyers dispute validity of attachments of emails and videocassette.
May 17: The court rejects application of AG Sindh filed u/s 540 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) seeking submission of a report of hand writing expert, containing reasons/grounds for his determination of fact that specimen of disputed and admitted documents of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and Adil Sheikh are similar. Also, Karachi police find remains of a body, believed to be of Daniel Pearl from a grave on the outskirts of Karachi.
May 18: Defence contest validity of printouts of cellular phones connections, saying these are tempered with by prosecution and police to establish connections are used by accused.
May 21: Prosecution drops of its witnesses, out of 38.
May 22: Prosecution drops main witness Arshad Noor Khan at the eleventh hour. Through her counsel, Mariane Pearl informs the court that she will be appearing for evidence, subject to doctor’s permissions.
May 28: The ATC judge orders release of video cassette, filming/reflecting the slaughtering of Daniel Pearl but simultaneously stays operation of the same for 72 hours on an application filed by AG Sindh.
May 29: AG Sindh challenges May 28 order of the ATC in SHC which reserves the order.
June 1: First Investigation Officer of the case, Rao Aslam, was cross-examined.
June 5: Prosecution drops Mariane Pearl as witness when her counsel informs ATC in writing that she will not travel to London or Karachi for an indefinite period.
June 6: The ATC restrains defence from displaying or exhibiting video CD, containing images of slaughtering and murder of Daniel Pearl. Investigation Officer (IO) Hameedullah Memon deposes the same day but his cross-examination is reserved, pending order of SHC on AG’s plea regarding release of videocassette.
June 10. The ATC issues notice to AG Sindh and counsel for Mariane Pearl on a defence plea, requesting it to call her for recording her testimony being a star witness of the case.
June 13- The ATC rejects application of defence counsel, Abdul Waheed Katpar for summoning Mariane Pearl.
June 14: ATC provides certified copy of videocassette, containing scenes of murder of US journalist to junior defence lawyer, Mahar Waris Bharwana.
June 17: Cross-examination of IO Hameedullah Memon begins. Heated arguments between two counsel lead to a 30-minute break in proceedings.
June l8: The 10 accuses judicial Magistrate (South), Erum Jehangir of having lied before the ATC that confessional statements of accused, recorded by her, were not voluntary.
June 21: Prime suspect Sheikh Omer rejects all charges against him in his statement without oath.
June 22: Co-accused Salman Saqib, Fahad Naseem and Sheikh Adil record their statements without oath and dismiss prosecution case as false.
June 27: First defence witness, Rauf Sheikh, the District & Sessions judge informs the ATC that he along with Ahmed Saeed Sheikh, Omer’s father, produced Omer Sheikh to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Lahore on Feb 5 in Lahore.
June 29: ATC directs Superintendent Police (SP) (special branch) to supply relevant documents to defence.
July 1: Saeed Ahmed Sheikh denies that his son has any terrorist background.
July 4: Final arguments begin with senior defence layer Abdul Waheed Katpar rejecting prosecution case against his client Omer Sheikh.
July 5: Concluding his arguments, Katpar pray for acquittal of Omer Sheikh in the case.
July 8: Rai Basher begins his final arguments and alleges manoeuvring and mala fide intention on the part of prosecution.
July 10: ATC reserves verdict in the case with AG Sindh Raja Qureshi requesting the court to give normal sentence — capital punishment to all the four accused.
Source: Dawn
Date:7/16/2002
