M A I N   N E W S

Pearl’s fate still unclear, says Pak police

A handout photo from the police in the Punjab provincial city of Lahore, dated November 16, 2000, shows the chief suspect in the kidnapping of US reporter Daniel Pearl, British-born militant Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, wearing a garland at a wedding ceremony. —  Reuters photo

Karachi, February 13
The Pakistani police said today that the fate of kidnapped US reporter Daniel Pearl remained unclear, despite the arrest of the chief suspect in the case.

“Unless we discover firm evidence about what has happened to Daniel, I would say it is unclear (if he is still alive),” said Syed Kamal Shah, police chief for the southern province of Sindh, of which Karachi is the capital.

Yesterday, the police said their prime suspect, British-born Islamic militant Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, had told them Pearl was still alive and in Karachi, where he disappeared three weeks ago.

“We are still interrogating him and it may take some time,” he said. “We have found him to be a hard nut to crack.” Other officials said they remained optimistic. “Don’t worry, we will recover Pearl soon,” said Sindh Interior Secretary Brigadier Mukhtar Ahmed.

An official close to the investigation said, as the police closed in on him, Sheikh Omar had decided to give himself up in return for a promise that his family would be protected, including his wife and baby son.

The police had said they expected to produce Sheikh Omar in court today, where they would ask for him to be remanded in custody for 14 days. However, there was no sign of him at the Sindh High Court by early afternoon. Reuters