Global press freedom deteriorates a decade after Rezaian's release CPJ urges Vietnam to release jailed journalists ahead of congress Asian journalists urge Iran to protect reporters amid unrest Asia press clubs adapt as political pressure reshapes spaces Tarar visits Ishrat Fatima, invites her to train at PTV Report highlights Taliban crackdown on women journalists Journalist Shabbir Mir named CM spokesperson in Gilgit-Baltistan Arshad Sharif case nears closure as widow voices frustration Tunisian court cuts journalist Chatha Belhajj Mubarak sentence Ishrat Fatima reveals painful exit from Radio Pakistan Global press freedom deteriorates a decade after Rezaian's release CPJ urges Vietnam to release jailed journalists ahead of congress Asian journalists urge Iran to protect reporters amid unrest Asia press clubs adapt as political pressure reshapes spaces Tarar visits Ishrat Fatima, invites her to train at PTV Report highlights Taliban crackdown on women journalists Journalist Shabbir Mir named CM spokesperson in Gilgit-Baltistan Arshad Sharif case nears closure as widow voices frustration Tunisian court cuts journalist Chatha Belhajj Mubarak sentence Ishrat Fatima reveals painful exit from Radio Pakistan
Logo
Janu
Unlocking the secrets of the media industry

Court frees suspect in Daniel Pearl murder

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 24 October 2014

Join our WhatsApp channel

Court frees suspect in Daniel Pearl murder
Syed Hashim, a suspect in the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl, was released by an Anti-Terrorism Court in Hyderabad. The court cited lack of evidence in the case, which has seen several convictions since Pearl's kidnapping and murder in 2002.

HYDERABAD: One of the suspects in American journalist Daniel Pearl’s murder case was freed by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Hyderabad on Friday.

Syed Hashim, one of the alleged suspects involved in kidnapping and murdering Pearl (pictured), was arrested in 2008. Newly-posted presiding officer of ATC Abdul Ghafoor Memon buried the case citing lack of evidence.

Pearl, the South Asia bureau chief at the Wall Street Journal, was abducted and killed in Karachi on January 23, 2002.

A special anti-terrorism court had awarded death sentence to the mastermind, Ahmed Omer Sheikh, while the co-accused, Salman Saqib, Fahad Naseem and Shaikh Adil, were handed life imprisonments in 2002, after being found guilty of kidnapping and beheading the foreign journalist.- Online

KEY POINTS:

  • Syed Hashim freed by Anti-Terrorism Court in Hyderabad
  • Court cited lack of evidence for release
  • Daniel Pearl was kidnapped on January 23, 2002
  • Ahmed Omer Sheikh received death sentence in the case
  • Co-accused received life imprisonments in 2002

Dive Deeper

Newsroom
Global press freedom deteriorates a decade after Rezaian's release

Global press freedom deteriorates a decade after Rezaian's release

 January 16, 2026 Ten years after Jason Rezaian's release, a Washington Post analysis and CPJ data show a global decline in press freedom and a steep rise in jailed journalists.


CPJ urges Vietnam to release jailed journalists ahead of congress

CPJ urges Vietnam to release jailed journalists ahead of congress

 January 16, 2026 CPJ urged Vietnam to free jailed journalists and ease media repression before the Communist Party congress, warning Article 117 arrests breach free expression.


Asian journalists urge Iran to protect reporters amid unrest

Asian journalists urge Iran to protect reporters amid unrest

 January 16, 2026 Asia Journalist Association urges Iran to stop using force, protect reporters covering protests, and respect press freedom and the public's right to information.


Asia press clubs adapt as political pressure reshapes spaces

Asia press clubs adapt as political pressure reshapes spaces

 January 16, 2026 Press clubs across Asia are altering operations as political pressure, legal limits and safety concerns constrain journalists' meetings and collaboration.


Report highlights Taliban crackdown on women journalists

Report highlights Taliban crackdown on women journalists

 January 15, 2026 An in-depth report documents the Taliban's suppression of Afghan women journalists through bans, closures and gendered harassment that silence their reporting.


Popular Stories