Lawyers for the chief defendant in the kidnap-slaying of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl predicted Monday that their client will be acquitted. The defense optimism came after testimony that appeared to support their contention that Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh was illegally detained and, on that basis, the charges against him should be dismissed. "You will see he will be acquitted in this case," said Abdul Waheed Katpar, a lawyer for Saeed. However, the chief prosecutor Raja Qureshi said the evidence is insufficient to acquit Saeed. Under Pakistani law, suspects are entitled to a court hearing within 24 hours of their detention.
Could it be that ISI set it up for him to be sprung on a technicality? The investigation looked like it was deliberately inept. But then, there is that U.S. indictment... |