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ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to formally join the review proceedings, initiated by the Sindh government, against the Supreme Court’s judgment on acquittal of all accused in the murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl.
According to a spokesman of the Attorney General of Pakistan today (Saturday), the federal government will also be filing an appropriate application before the Supreme Court to be allowed to join as a party in the proceedings.
The statement further stated that the federal government will also file an application for the constitution of a larger bench to hear the review petitions. “Centre, in cooperation with Sindh government, will continue to take all legal steps to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice,” it added.
Earlier this week, the SC acquitted Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh, the principal accused in the murder of the Wall Street Journal’s bureau chief for South Asia, by extending the benefit of the doubt to him.
The three-member bench ordered that Sheikh, Fahad Naseem Ahmed, Syed Salman Saqib and Shaikh Muhammad Adil be set free forthwith, if not required to be detained in connection with any other case.
In this regard, the Sindh government on Friday lodged a review of the top court’s ruling in the case. Speaking to an international news agency, Sindh Prosecutor General Dr Fiaz Shah said the petition was filed to “seek a review and request the court to recall the order of acquittal”.