Expressing concern over the acquittal of those involved in the brutal murder of Daniel Pearl in 2002, a senior UN official representing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said it is important that there is accountability for such crimes.
"Blinken and Qureshi discussed how to ensure accountability for convicted terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and others responsible for the kidnapping and murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a readout of the call.
US Secretary of State Tony Blinken raised concerns about the recent Pakistan Supreme Court’s ruling acquitting American journalist Daniel Pearl’s killers. Blinken spoke with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi over telephone on Friday regarding the issue.
The US move comes just days after the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the release of Omar Saeed the main suspect in the Danial Pearl murder case.
Pearl, the late 38-year-old South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, was abducted and beheaded while he was in Pakistan in 2002. At the time, Pearl was investigating a story on the links between the country s powerful spy agency ISI and al-Qaeda.
Washington/Islamabad, January 30
US Secretary of State Tony Blinken has spoken over phone with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and discussed the accountability of convicted ter