The Hindu : Omar's plea

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 05, 2002

International

International

Omar's plea

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD May 4. Sheikh Omar Saeed, prime accused in the abduction and murder of the U.S. journalist, Daniel Pearl, under trial in Southern Sindh province in an anti-terrorism court, today filed a petition in Pakistan Supreme Court, challenging the transfer of his trial from Karachi to Hyderabad.

The Sindh High Court recently permitted the prosecution to shift the trial to Hyderabad, which was considered a more secure location. Also the judge of the ATC has been shifted on the request of prosecution which has alleged that the Judge failed to prevent the accused from making threatening gestures in the court.

Sheikh's advocate has prayed to the apex court to hear the application on May 6, the date already set for resumption and daily hearing of the trial in Hyderabad jail. All four defendants in the case including Sheikh, a British-born former student of London School of Economics, have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, kidnapping and terrorism. Seven other suspects have been charged but remain at large

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