On Thursday, the Pakistani Supreme Court dismissed all charges against Omar Sheikh, a British citizen who has spent more than 18 years behind bars in Pakistan for the kidnapping and killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002. Shiekh will be released from jail immediately, however, Pakistani authorities have prevented this abomination since a lower court ruled earlier this year that he be released.
Pakistani government lawyer, Faiz Shah, stated that he was very disappointed in Thursday’s outcome, promising to challenge the verdict alongside authorities. It remains unclear whether Sheikh will remain in prison in the meantime. The US government is seeking to intervene in the case, but there are no clear options as to how to do this. US officials have been pressing Pakistani authorities to keep Sheikh in prison.
Read More: Top Pakistan Court Acquits Man Convicted of Killing WSJ Reporter Daniel Pearl