ISLAMABAD (voa) – A senior Pakistani diplomat says his government is considering extraditing Ahmed Omar Sheikh for trial in a U.S. court for the slaying of Wall Street Journal reporter Danny Pearl.
Foreign Secretary Inam ul Haque told reporters during a visit to Tokyo Friday there is a possibility that the suspect widely known as Sheikh Omar would be tried in a Pakistani court before being handed over to American authorities.
The United States has asked Pakistan to surrender the London-born Islamic militant on charges of kidnapping and murder of another American in 1994 in India. Islamabad is weighing the request against the threat of violent backlash from Islamic militants in Pakistan.
Sheikh Omar has admitted plotting the kidnapping of the 38-year-old journalist. A videotape received last week by U.S. diplomats in Karachi showed Mr. Pearl being forced to say he was a Jew, followed by images of his body being decapitated.
Meanwhile, a second suspect who has confessed to helping send electronic mail to authorities showing the journalist in captivity has appeared in a Karachi court under heavy police guard. Judicial authorities said a statement by Salman Saqib was not released.
An attorney representing Mr. Saqib said his client was already in custody when the videotape confirming the Pearl killing was received.
