US welcomes Sindh govt's decision of detaining accused in Daniel Pearl murder case

• Wells expressed the hope that the perpetrators will not escape justice.
• Alice Wells says US welcomes Sindh government's decision to continue to detain those responsible for Daniel Pearl's kidnapping and murder and to mount a strong appeal.
• Four accused involved in the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 were detained after a court acquitted them.

(Karachi) The United States has welcomed Sindh government's decision to rearrest the accused involved in the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl.

In a tweet, the US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Alice Wells expressed the hope that the perpetrators will not escape justice.

https://twitter.com/State_SCA/status/1246469941408251906

She stated, "We welcome Pakistan's April 3 statement and the Sindh government's decision to continue to detain those responsible for Daniel Pearl's kidnapping and murder and to mount a strong appeal."

She remarked, "The perpetrators of this horrific act of terrorism will not escape justice."

Earlier, four accused involved in the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 were detained after a court acquitted them.

Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and three alleged accomplices in the kidnapping and killing of the US journalist will remain in detention for three months pending the filing of an appeal.

The court had overturned Sheikh's death sentence, issued by an anti-terrorism tribunal in 2002, but handed him seven years in prison, on the lesser charge of kidnapping Pearl, a term he has already served. However, three of his co-defendants who were handed life prison terms in 2002 were acquitted.

Later, the Sindh government issued an order to arrest and detain the four before they were released from prison.

The accused were rearrested over concerns that they might act against the interest of the country.