Islamabad, Aug 13: A Pakistani court today admitted the appeals of Sheikh Omar Saeed and three others convicted by an anti-terrorist court for the abduction and murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl.
The Sindh High Court in Karachi today also admitted a concurrent appeal by state prosecutors to enhance the life prison terms of three of the men to death sentences.
British-born Sheikh Omar, leader of the banned militant outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad was sentenced to death by hanging for masterminding the kidnap and murder of wall street journal correspondent pearl in January. His three accomplices were each given life sentence.
A two-member appellate bench of the court admitted three appeals for regular hearing. Omar Sheikh has challenged his death penalty while the three accused moved against their life imprisonment.
None of the four convicts were present at the 15-minute admission hearing.

They are being held in a high-security prison in Hyderabad, 160 kilometres northeast of Karachi, where their three-month trial was conducted.

Commenting on the appeal petitions, chief prosecutor Raja Qureshi said he was confident about the success of his appeal for the enhancement of their conviction.

Bureau Report