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 eyes collaboration with Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, China for local vaccine production
- Pakistan last week held talks with a visiting Saudi delegation on partnering to manufacture vaccines locally
- Government working on “war footing” to ensure local production of vaccines by 2030, says health minister
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is eyeing collaboration with Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and China to produce vaccines locally, Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal said on Thursday, adding that Islamabad was exploring both government-to-government and business-to-business opportunities in this regard.
Kamal told Arab News last week that Islamabad was “very close” to an agreement with Saudi Arabia that would enable Pakistan to manufacture vaccines locally. The development took place as a Saudi delegation, led by the Kingdom’s senior adviser to the minister of industry Nizar Al-Hariri, arrived in Pakistan last week and held talks with health officials on a partnership with Pakistan which would enable it to manufacture vaccines locally.
The efforts take place amid Pakistan’s push to strengthen its health security and industrial capacity. The country of more than 240 million currently imports all vaccines used in its national immunization campaigns, relying heavily on international partners to help cover the costs.
“Mustafa Kamal said Pakistan is exploring collaboration with Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and China for local production of these vaccines,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
Kamal said the government is working on a “war footing” to ensure the local production of vaccines before 2030.
The health minister reiterated that Pakistan has the potential to locally produce raw materials of the 13 vaccines that it provides free of cost. He added that the government will also export vaccines once it starts producing them at home.
“Mustafa Kamal said the government is exploring both government-to-government and business-to-business collaboration to achieve our objectives in vaccine production,” Radio Pakistan said.
Pakistan’s health ministry has said it imports all 13 vaccines that it provides masses for free at an annual cost of about $400 million.
International partners currently cover 49 percent of these costs, with the remainder borne by the Pakistani government. This external support, Kamal has warned, is expected to end after 2030.
