New documents in appeal will not be accepted: SC

Justice Mushir Alam says parties have to get permission from the court before submitting any new document

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court observed on Thursday it would not accept new documents in Daniel Pearl murder case appeals, as those documents were neither produced in the trial court nor in the Sindh High Court (SHC).

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Mushir Alam, heard the appeals against the acquittal of the accused by the SHC. The bench expressed surprise how the new documents were made part of the apex court file.

During the hearing, lawyer Faisal Siddiqui said that at the time of arrest of Ahmed Omar Sheikh, a bag was recovered from him, which contained emails, camera, scanner and some pictures. Justice Sardar Tariq said that the prosecution witnesses had said two emails were sent but his figures were too high.

Justice Alam said the parties have to get permission from the court before submitting any new document. The judge said the court would not see those documents right now. Those will be verified first, he added. Later, the hearing was adjourned until January 5.

Daniel Pearl, 38, was abducted in Karachi in January 2002. A month later, a graphic video showing his decapitation, was delivered to the US Consulate. Subsequently, Ahmed Sheikh was arrested in 2002 and sentenced to death by the trial court. However, the SHC on April 2 overturned Sheikh’s conviction.

However, Sheikh remained in detention on the order of the Sindh home department. A petition against the detention of Ahmed Omar Sheikh is pending in the SHC. During a hearing of the petition on Thursday, Petitioner’s counsel did not appear in court.

Adjourning the hearing until December 24, the court directed the petitioner’s lawyer to appear before it at the next hearing. The court said that if a lawyer did not come to the court, the advocate generals’ office should be informed in advance.