Hyderabad, Pakistan
Pakistan braced for extremist attacks this week after four men were convicted of the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl. The Wall Street Journal reporter was kidnapped in January and forced to repeat “I am a Jew�� before being beheaded, an act captured on a gruesome videotape released by the killers. Their mastermind, British-born Omar Saeed Sheik, received a sentence of death by hanging, while the other three got life in prison. Islamic groups expressed rage at the verdict, and Omar Sheik called on them to attack the Pakistani authorities. “We shall see who will die first, either I or the authorities who arranged the death sentence,” he said in a statement.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.