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What worried the top Sindh police investigators of the Pearl case was Fazal's statement about the names of the characters involved in the kidnapping and subsequent murder of Daniel Pearl. "Fazal's version was a lot different from the case presented by the prosecution in the trial court," said an official. "He was absolutely confident that neither Omar Sheikh nor any of the 10 accused mentioned in the Challan had participated in the actual kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl."

Interesting that Pearl was killed because he had the audacity to try to escape. Guess the "beheading video" was just an afterthought.

So here's the shape we're in many, many months after the beginning of this vaunted "4-day trial" that would lead to the quick execution of Sheikh Omar--Muslim mastermind of Daniel Pearl's kidnapping and murder.

Fox News mentioned yesterday that--let alone a new trial--the appeals in Omar's case could last a year or more.

How can Pervez allow this farce to continue? Or does his operating under the flag of "The Islamic Republic of Pakistan" have something to do with prolonging this bogus judicial sideshow?

"The discovery of Pearl's body and the arrest of new suspects in this connection are enough for the appeal court to order de novo (fresh) trial," commented Mrs Ismat Mehdi, a leading attorney for criminal cases in Karachi. "Whatever the circumstances such a crucial development in the case should have been brought before the trial court without delay whatsoever."

An informed official said that in line with the decision taken by senior Pakistani investigators, the United States government and Mrs Pearl also agreed not to publicly announce the results of the DNA test or to claim Pearl's remains from the government of Pakistan until the trial court announces its verdict.

So the appeal and possible re-trial is now based on the wrong-doings of the United States government and Mrs. Pearl.

These guys can't get much cuter.