KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday issued notices to the chief secretary of Sindh and others in a contempt petition on detention of the accused in Daniel Pearl murder case.

A two-member bench of the SHC heard a contempt of court petition filed against the chief secretary, jail officials and others over the government's failure in obeying the court orders.

The court summoned reply from them and the jail officials on January 7.

It asked the advocate-general of Sindh why the accused were not released on the court orders. The AG replied: "Issue a notice. We will submit a written reply on the matter."

The bench had declared the government notification null and void and ordered putting the names of the accused, Ahmed Omer Saeed Shaikh and others, in the exit control list (ECL).

The court observed that the accused had been in jail for the last 18 years and ordered the accused to appear as and when the court summoned them after their release.

The provincial home department had detained the accused under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) on September 28.

Ahmed Omer Saeed Shaikh and others had moved the Sindh High Court (SHC) challenging their convictions handed down by the Hyderabad anti-terrorism court in 2002, after finding them guilty of abducting and killing American journalist Daniel Pearl.

The ATC had handed death sentence to Ahmed Omer Saeed Shaikh and life sentences to the other three accused.

The high court overturned the verdict of the ATC and acquitted the convicts on April 2.

The Sindh government and the family of Daniel Pearl filed appeals in the Supreme Court against the high court verdict and the case is being heard in the apex court.

A bench of the high court had declared a notification on the detention of the accused, Ahmed Omer Saeed Shaikh, Fahad Naseem, Salman Saqib and Sheikh Adil, null and void and ordered their immediate release from jail.