KARACHI: On Thursday, the Sindh High Court ordered the release of Omar Sheikh, a British-born militant who was accused of killing Daniel Pearl in 2002, ruling that Mr. Sheikh's temporary detention was illegal.

Omar Sheikh was acquitted of Pearl's murder earlier this year, but had remained in jail after an appeal against the decision had begun, with a lawyer for Mr Sheikh stating that he could be released within the next 24 hours.

In April this year, the Sindh High Court downgraded Mr Sheikh's conviction to the lesser crime of kidnapping, and acquitted three other men connected to the case.

The abduction and gruesome beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Pearl in the southern city of Karachi in 2002 prompted shock and outrage from the international community.

Mr Sheikh was arrested mere days after Pearl's kidnapping and later convicted of the murder by an anti-terrorism court, having been placed on death row since the conviction.

The decision drew condemnation from Mr Pearl's family, who have along with the Pakistani government challenged the decision.

The U.S State Department condemned this ruling, stating that it had been assured that the accused had not been released "at this time", adding that "We continue to honour Daniel Pearl's legacy as a courageous journalist."