Suspect Denies Ties to Body

The chief suspect in the slaying of Daniel Pearl denied any connection to a body found in Karachi last week that is believed to be that of the Wall Street Journal reporter, a defense attorney said Sunday.

British-born militant Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh said he and his three co-defendants, charged with the kidnapping and murder of Pearl, “have nothing to do with all that,” attorney Rai Bashir said Sheikh told him in a private message he received Saturday.

The men have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Their trial, which began April 22, is being held under heavy security at Hyderabad’s jail.

Bashir said Sheikh also denied that he has ties to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an Islamic militant group linked to Al Qaeda. Three suspected members of the group led police to the body last week, according to state-run Pakistan Television. The suspects remain in police custody.

“I do not belong to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi,” Bashir quoted Sheikh as saying. The group was banned by Pakistan earlier this year.

Pearl, an American, disappeared four months ago in the port city of Karachi while researching Islamic militants. A videotape made by his captors showed his death.

Early Friday, police in Karachi unearthed a dismembered body believed to be that of Pearl. The body was found near a blood-splattered shack where authorities believe Pearl was held.

Police Chief Kamal Shah said a team of doctors from Lahore will be traveling to Karachi today to take back blood and hair samples for DNA testing. Results from the tests, which will be conducted in Lahore, could take up to a week, he said.