Over the past few years, Pakistan has begun its free fall towards radicalism as it wilfully succumbs to radical Islamists. In a concerning development, Pakistan’s Sindh High Court has overturned the death sentence of the killer of Daniel Pearl and top al-Qaeda leader Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh. In 2002, Sheikh was convicted in the abduction and brutal murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in Karachi. The USA has slammed the verdict while India has decided to take this matter to the FATF, thereby turning the heat on Pakistan.
The Sindh High Court has found Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh guilty of the lesser charge of kidnapping and commuted his death sentence to seven years in prison. The US has slammed the verdict and has termed the verdict as an “affront” to victims of terrorism everywhere.
Alice Wells, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia tweeted, “The overturning of the convictions for Daniel Pearl’s murder is an affront to victims of terrorism everywhere.” Anurima Bhargava, the Commissioner of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom slammed the verdict as it highlights the misplaced priorities of the Pakistani legal system and the total lack of accountability over the murder of Daniel Pearl.
“This court decision is outrageous and will hopefully be reversed by a higher court,” said Congressman Brad Sherman while speaking to Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S,
India on its part is also planning to take Pakistan to task over Sheikh’s acquittal. India has planned to raise this verdict at the next meeting of the Financial Action Task Force slated to take place in June. Pakistan continues to be in the grey list of the FATF which costs its economy $10 billion annually. India’s aggressive lobbying has increased the threat of Pakistan being placed in the black list and this verdict is likely to further strengthen India’s stance.
Sheikh has been in the prison since the past 18 years as he was arrested for the kidnapping and killing of the Wall Street Journal’s correspondent, Daniel Pearl in Karachi in 2002. Pearl was later beheaded as he was investigating a story on the alleged links between the ISI and al-Qaeda.
Sheikh has had a notorious history. From 1994-1999 he spent his time in Indian prisons as he was arrested for kidnapping foreigners. He was forced to let go off along with Masood Azhar by the Indian authorities during the 1999 Kandahar hijack. Sheikh is also suspected to have played a role in the 9/11 attacks for which he hasn’t been tried yet in Pakistan.
Hence, the US is keeping a close watch on the next steps of Pakistan’s civilian government. According to some local reports, Sheikh would be allowed to go scot-free by the government as it doesn’t plan to file a strong appeal against the verdict. If that happens, it would show how transnational ‘terror financing’ norms were being flouted by the country.
It seems that the only people who are absolutely safe in Pakistan are the terrorists who seem to have the support of the civilian government, military and now the judiciary.