New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has made a significant revelation regarding the tragic murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl, asserting that the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) played a central role in the kidnapping and killing of Pearl 23 years ago. Misri pointed to the involvement of key figures within JeM, including British-Pakistani terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was responsible for Pearl’s death.
The case, which shook the world in February 2002, saw Daniel Pearl, the South Asia bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, kidnapped in Karachi while investigating links between terrorists and extremist organizations. Pearl was eventually beheaded, and his mutilated body was discovered in a grave north of Karachi, 30 kilometers from the city. Misri highlighted that Saeed Sheikh had direct connections with Jaish-e-Mohammed, adding that another key figure in the murder is Abdul Rauf Azhar, the supreme commander of the group.
Azhar, known for his involvement in several high-profile terrorist attacks, was killed during India’s Operation Sindoor. Misri stressed that India had long been searching for Azhar due to his direct involvement in multiple attacks, including the 1999 Kandahar plane hijacking, the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2016 Pathankot attack, and the 2019 Pulwama attack. As the supreme commander of Jaish-e-Mohammed since 2007, Azhar’s actions have been linked to numerous violent extremist activities.
In 2010, the United States declared Abdul Rauf Azhar a terrorist. Misri’s statement sheds light on the long-standing connections between key figures in the Daniel Pearl murder and broader terrorist networks, implicating them in a range of violent actions that have targeted both India and the international community.
The judicial proceedings surrounding Daniel Pearl’s murder have also been controversial. Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the mastermind behind the gruesome act, was initially sentenced to death by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court in 2002. However, his sentence was reduced to just seven years in prison in 2020, and the Sindh High Court later ordered his release, citing the fact that he had already served 18 years in prison. The case has raised concerns regarding the legal handling of terrorism-related offenses in Pakistan, with many questioning the effectiveness of the justice system in holding individuals accountable for such heinous crimes.
This revelation from Misri brings renewed attention to the ongoing challenges in addressing terrorism and its far-reaching consequences, as well as the complex international dynamics surrounding the fight against extremist groups.