US issues stern warning to Pakistan on releasing the killers of Daniel Pearl

Washington: Ahmed Omar Sheikh and his accomplice, involved in the kidnapping and killing of US journalist Daniel Pearl, has been released by the Pakistan Supreme Court. The United States expressed strong resentment over this decision. US State Secretary, Antony Blinken, issued a stern warning to Pakistan over this. Pakistan should try to hand out a punishment to Daniel Pearl’s killers or hand them over to the United States for judicial action. Pakistani journalists express a concern that this first reaction given by the newly appointed US State Secretary, regarding Pakistan, is dangerous.

Daniel Pearl was working on the link between the Al Qaeda and the notorious Pakistani intelligence agency ISI. In 2002, he had visited Pakistan for this purpose. Mohammed Omar Sheikh, a UK born Pakistani and his accomplices, kidnapped Daniel Pearl. After a few days, he was remorselessly killed. A Pakistan court had handed out a death sentence to Sheikh for this killing. But in April 2020, the Sindh High Court in Pakistan changed the death sentence into 7-year imprisonment. The United States had strongly objected to this.

Pakistan tried to appease the United States by filing an appeal in the Supreme court against the Sindh High Court’s decision. But now the Supreme court has decided to release Sheikh. A vitriolic reaction has been received from the United States over the decision. Jane Psaki, the US State Department spokeswoman, said that this was the infuriating matter and criticised Pakistan in vitriolic words. Psaki made a suggestive statement that the United States has taken cognisance with this decision that other reporters’ lives also have come under a threat. Psaki demanded that Pakistan cooperate to make Sheikh and his accomplices face judicial proceedings in the United States.

US State Secretary, Blinken, also asked for assistance from Pakistan to have a Sheikh judicial trial and his accomplices in the United States. Pakistani journalists are expressing concerns that the Pakistan Supreme court’s decision will have a strong negative impact on the US-Pakistan relation. The Pakistani journalists pointed out the this is the first statement issued by the newly appointed US State Secretary, regarding Pakistan and it is very derogatory. Meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the organisation responsible for reining in the countries, refusing to block the funding of terrorists, is scheduled to be held in February. There is a strong possibility that Pakistan, currently in the FATF Grey List, will be put in the Black List. Pakistan, who has released Daniel Pearl’s killers, has itself cleared the path for its inclusion, into the FATF Black List. India has blamed that the decision has brought Pakistan’s real face in front of the world.