Karachi, Feb 17: Pakistani police have arrested two Islamic militants, including one suspected of involvement in the kidnap and killing of U.S. Reporter Daniel Pearl, an officer said today. The two men, Sajid Jabbar and Mohammad Athar, were arrested in an overnight raid in the port city of Karachi and belong to the outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group, Fayyaz Leghari, chief of the investigation branch of Karachi police said. Another senior officer, who did not want to be identified, said Jabbar was suspected of involvement in the kidnapping and murder of wall street journal reporter pearl in 2002 as well as several other militant attacks. ''He carries a reward of 500,000 rupees on his head,'' the officer said. He said Jabbar was a close associate of Asif Ramzi, another suspect in the murder of Pearl, who blew himself up while making bombs in Karachi in December 2002.

Leghari said Jabbar and Athar were suspected of planning fresh attacks in Karachi. ''We have seized a huge amount of weapons and explosives from their possession,'' he said.

Pearl was kidnapped and murdered in Karachi in early 2002 while researching a story on Islamic militants against a backdrop of the September 11 attacks on the United States.

A British-born militant, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, better known as Sheikh Omar, was sentenced to death in July 2002 for masterminding his murder. Omar has denied the charge and lodged an appeal.

Bureau Report