ISLAMABAD: The United States said on Wednesday it was “alarmed” by a Supreme Court order that British-born Ahmad Saeed Omar Sheikh, originally arrested and charged with American journalist Daniel Pearl’s 2002 abduction and murder, be moved from his death cell to a state rest house.
The court gave the order on Tuesday while hearing an appeal filed by the provincial government of Sindh calling for a review of the top court’s decision last week, January 28, to free Sheikh and three others convicted of beheading Pearl, a 38-year-old Wall Street Journal journalist.
Last April, a lower court acquitted all four men in a shocking turn in the 18-year-old case, but they remained detained while the order was appealed separately in the Supreme Court by Pearl’s family and the Sindh government.
Both appeals were rejected last Thursday by a three-judge bench that also ordered Sheikh be released. The decision was two-to-one.
Speaking to journalists in Washington, today, a spokesperson for the US state department was quoted by Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper as saying: “The United States remains deeply concerned by developments in the cases of those involved in Pearl’s kidnapping and murder.”
“We are alarmed by the recent order to move Sheikh and his co-conspirators from prison.”
“The SC ordered that all detainees in the case should be brought to a common barrack of jail for two days,” Pakistan’s Business Recorder newspaper said about the Supreme Court’s Tuesday ruling. “After it, they should be kept at a government rest house.”
“Sheikh’s family may also stay with him from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm,” the court said, adding that he would not be allowed mobile or Internet facilities.
The court’s decisions “represent an affront to terrorism victims everywhere, including in Pakistan,” the US state department spokesperson said, while also appreciating Islamabad’s efforts to ensure that those involved in the slaying were held accountable for their actions, Dawn reported.
“The US recognizes past Pakistani actions to hold Sheikh accountable and to seek to ensure that he and his co-conspirators remain in custody,” the official said. “We also acknowledge government requests for a review of the split Jan 28 decision.”
On Monday, the court had halted the release of Sheikh and others for 24 hours after they were expected to be freed on Tuesday.
To a question about whether it was possible that Sheikh could be released, attorney general Khalid Javed Khan told Arab News last week: “I doubt it.”
Sheikh’s father, Ahmad Saeed Sheikh, attended Tuesday’s hearing.
“It is not a complete freedom. It is a step toward freedom,” he told Reuters Television.
US says ‘alarmed’ by Pakistani court’s order to move Omar Sheikh out of prison
https://arab.news/573gh
US says ‘alarmed’ by Pakistani court’s order to move Omar Sheikh out of prison
- Supreme Court has ordered that Sheikh, originally charged with Daniel Pearl’s abduction and murder, be moved from his death cell to a state rest house
- State Department spokesman says United States remains “deeply concerned” by developments in the Pearl murder and kidnapping case
Pakistan PM calls PIA privatization ‘vote of confidence’ as government pushes reforms
- The loss-making national flag carrier was sold to a Pakistani consortium for $482 million after two failed attempts
- Finance minister vows to continue economic reforms, engage international partners through trade and investment
KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday the privatization of state-owned Pakistan International Airlines marked a “vote of confidence” in the country’s economy, as the government presses ahead with structural reforms aimed at easing pressure on public finances and attracting investment.
The sale of the loss-making national carrier by a Pakistani consortium, which secured a 75 percent stake for Rs135 billion ($482 million), follows two previous attempts to privatize PIA. The development comes as Pakistan seeks to build on macroeconomic stabilization after a prolonged balance-of-payments crisis, with authorities trying to shift the economy toward export-led growth and policy continuity.
“It was our firm commitment to the people of Pakistan that speedy and concrete steps would be taken to privatize loss-making state-owned enterprises that have been a burden on the economy,” Sharif said in a post on X. “The successful completion of the transparent and highly competitive bidding process for the privatization of PIA marks an important milestone in fulfilling that commitment.”
“The strong participation of our leading business groups and some of Pakistan’s most seasoned and respected investors is a powerful vote of confidence in our economy and its future,” he added.
The government has made privatization of state-owned enterprises a key pillar of its reform agenda, alongside changes to taxation, energy pricing and trade policy, as it seeks to stabilize the economy and restore investor confidence.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told an international news outlet Pakistan had reached a critical turning point, with macroeconomic stability and sustained reforms helping shift the economy from stabilization toward growth.
“Macroeconomic stability, sustained reforms and policy continuity are restoring confidence, shifting the economy from stabilization to export-led growth,” he said in an interview with USA Today, according to a statement issued by the finance ministry, adding that the government was opening new opportunities for domestic and global investors.
Aurangzeb said inflation had eased sharply, external balances had improved and foreign exchange reserves had risen above $14.5 billion, while Pakistan had recorded both a primary fiscal surplus and a current account surplus for the first time in several years.
The finance minister noted that economic growth remained insufficient to meet the needs of a fast-growing population, pointing out the importance of continuing structural reforms and encouraging investment in sectors such as agriculture, minerals, information technology and climate resilience.
Despite ongoing risks from global commodity prices, debt pressures and political uncertainty, Aurangzeb said the government remained committed to staying the reform course and engaging international partners through trade and investment.
