‘Held without trial,’ accused in Daniel Pearl case ‘fighting for life’

Younger brother of man who introduced Daniel Pearl to his captor seeks early trial, release on bail.

KARACHI: The man who introduced the American journalist Daniel Pearl to his captor Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh has been incarcerated since 2005 without a trial, said the accused Syed Muhammad Hashim’s younger brother Syed Khalid Imran while addressing a press conference here on Monday at the Karachi Press Club.

Hashim, a member of Harakatul Mujahideen, was arrested in July 2005 from Gujranwala and was produced before Anti Terrorism Court (ATC-II) Karachi division, then headed by Feroz Mehmood Bhatti. He was remanded to judicial custody and has been in jail since then, without a trial, said Imran.

The accused is also suffering from ulcer and is being treated at a clinic in Central Prison, Hyderabad, Imran said, adding the authorities have refused to take him to a proper hospital citing security concerns.

Every accused has a right to trial and “so does my ailing brother”, Imran said, demanding an early trial or release of the accused on bail.

Pearl was kidnapped in Karachi, allegedly by Sheikh and his accomplices, who later executed him. Four accused, including Sheikh, were sentenced to death and life imprisonment by the ATC.

Meanwhile, two appeals filed by Sheikh against his conviction and death sentence, another by three co-accused assailing the life terms awarded to them and another by the state questioning lesser sentence to co-accused are pending adjudication for the past nine years.

The ATC laws provide seven days for trial and another seven days for appeals.

The law is, however, generally, and especially in high-profile cases, ignored.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2011.