ISLAMABAD: The Sindh High Court on Thursday declared “null and void” the continued detention of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British-born Pakistani man convicted over the 2002 beheading of the Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.
The court was hearing an appeal from the family of Sheikh against his detention despite a court acquitting him in April.
Sheikh was sentenced to death and three others to life in prison for their role in the plot in 2002. A lower Pakistani court acquitted Sheikh and three others this year, in a move that has stunned the US government, Pearl’s family and journalism advocacy groups.
The acquittal is now being appealed separately by the Pakistan government and Pearl’s family in the Supreme Court. The government has opposed Sheikh’s release from prison, saying it would endanger the public. He was to remain in custody until the appeals are resolved.
On Thursday, the Sindh court ordered the immediate release of Sheikh and three others, but said their names should be added to a no-fly list.
The men have been in rotting in jail for 18 years without committing any crime, the judge said.
Sheikh had been convicted of helping lure Pearl to a meeting in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi in which he was kidnapped. Pearl had been investigating the link between Pakistani militants and Richard C. Reid, dubbed the “Shoe Bomber” after trying to blow up a flight from Paris to Miami with explosives hidden in his shoes.
Pearl, 38, of Encino, California, was abducted January 23, 2002. In Sheikh’s original trial, emails between Sheikh and Pearl presented in court showed Sheikh gained Pearl’s confidence by sharing their experiences as both waited for the birth of their first child. Pearl’s wife Marianne Pearl gave birth to a son, Adam, in May 2002.
Pakistan court orders immediate release of four accused in Daniel Pearl killing
https://arab.news/9587b
Pakistan court orders immediate release of four accused in Daniel Pearl killing
- Sheikh was sentenced to death and three others to life in prison in 2002 but a lower court acquitted them in April
- Acquittal was appealed by government and Pearl’s family, government opposed Sheikh’s release saying it would endanger the public
Pakistan recall Shadab Khan for Sri Lanka T20I series as World Cup looms
- Shadab Khan, 27, last played for Pakistan in June before he underwent a shoulder surgery
- Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Muhammad Rizwan to miss series due to Big Bash League
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Sunday it has named former captain Shadab Khan in the 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series scheduled to take place against Sri Lanka next month, as the Green Shirts prepare for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Khan, 27, last represented Pakistan in June this year before he underwent a shoulder surgery. Khan is currently featuring in the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia after going through a rehabilitation program at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
“All-rounder Shadab Khan has returned to the T20I side as the Men’s National Selection Committee named a 15-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, scheduled to take place later next month,” the PCB said in a statement.
A host of key players such as Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Rizwan have not been included in the series as they are featuring in the BBL.
Uncapped Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter Khawaja Nafay has also been included in the Sri Lanka squad. The 23-year-old right-handed batter has recently been part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad. He has featured in 32 T20 matches and has scored at a strike rate of 132.81.
The Pakistan team will depart for Sri Lanka in the first week of January 2026, with all three T20Is scheduled to be played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium (RDICS) in Dambulla on Jan. 7, 9 and 11.
“The series will provide Pakistan an opportunity to finalize their squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, set to take place in India and Sri Lanka from 7 February to 8 March,” the PCB said.
“Pakistan are scheduled to play all their matches in Colombo, Sri Lanka.”
SQUAD:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq
