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American Morning

Pakistani Group Holding Missing Reporter Demanding Return of Pakistani Detainees

Aired January 29, 2002 - 07:11   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We told you a short time ago that Saudi Arabia is asking for the return of its detainees held at Guantanamo. We're hearing a similar demand from the Pakistani group holding missing reporter Daniel Pearl of the "Wall Street Journal." They are demanding the return of Pakistani detainees.

We get the latest on the Pearl kidnapping from CNN's Ash-Har Quraishi, who joins us by phone from Karachi -- Ash-Har what is the latest?

ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, the investigation is ongoing here, obviously, in Pakistan. Authorities here, though, are being very cautious about what they say, what they release. They are telling us, though, that the investigation is in full force. They've deployed officers all over the country, not only in Karachi, where Daniel Pearl was last seen, but also in the capital city of Islamabad and surrounding areas.

Now, there were some reports coming out of Pakistan today that Pearl was not actually last seen in Karachi, that he had been seen closer to the city of Islamabad, the capital. But police here tell us that no, he was, in fact, last seen in Karachi.

I spoke the with the last person known to have spoken to Daniel before he disappeared. This was about 10 minutes before 7:00 p.m. here last Wednesday. Now, this person, who is also involved in citizen groups that are working for crime prevention, that kind of thing, was a source that Daniel was using. And he tells us that he spoke to those people who were around when Daniel had gotten into the car that he had gotten into when he was seen last. And the waiters there said that -- this was a restaurant -- said that he had gotten in very willingly.

But right now the investigation is progressing. Authorities here are just being very quiet about it. They don't want to jeopardize any of this information getting out. They're also worried about the safety of those associates that had been working with Daniel -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Ash-Har Quraishi in Karachi, thanks very much this morning.

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