Islamabad, Jan 29 (TIWN) The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday rejected an appeal filed by the Sindh provincial government against the Sindh High Court's (SHC) decision to acquit and release the accused persons in the 2002 kidnap and murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl, ordering their immediate release.

 The apex court is also separately hearing appeals against the high court's earlier acquittal of Sheikh, a decision on which has not been announced as yet.  The short order was issued by a three-judge SC bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam. One member of the bench opposed the decision.  “The court has come out to say that there is no offence that he has committed in this case,” Mahmood Sheikh, who represented Sheikh, told AFP.