Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Pakistan: No Objection to Extraditing Sheikh Despite Threats

Aired February 27, 2002 - 08:13   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.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: More now on the chief suspect in the murder of Wall Street reporter -- "Wall Street Journal" reporter Daniel Pearl. Pakistan says it now has no objection to handing over Ahmed Omar Sheikh to the United States, but the negotiations continue. And earlier today, police in Karachi, Pakistan went on increased alert after getting a threatening phone call warning Pakistan against extraditing the suspect to the United States. ` CNN's Chris Burns joins us now with a live report from Karachi. Good morning, Chris. Or I guess in your case, good afternoon.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPOINDENT: Yes, good afternoon, Jack.

Well that caller -- an anonymous caller -- identified himself to be part of the same group that had kidnapped or claimed to have kidnapped Daniel Pearl, the National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty, a strange mix of militancy and nationalism.

This caller said that they would rocket or bomb a key office of investigators. An office where there had been, according to our sources, questioning of the key suspect, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh. And they say that if these extradition efforts are not stopped they will rocket or bomb that office.

But you might also talk to the street here. We'll have some sound bites later. But we talked to a number of people. Seven out of eight said that they oppose the extradition. They think that the Pakistani judicial system should try him. Some think that Sheikh Omar is not even guilty.

This comes all the day after a meeting between the U.S. Ambassador Wendy Chamberlain and President Pervez Musharraf, where Musharraf is quoted as saying that he was not averse to the extradition, but there have to be certain conditions. One of them, according to our sources, is that the officials here want to complete the investigation. They need Sheikh Omar around so they can talk to him and interrogate him as they try to find the body of Daniel Pearl. As they try to find the murder weapon and other suspects in building their case.

There's also the talk that perhaps it's best to even try him here for a number of reasons. But including because Pervez Musharraf is under a lot of pressure here, not only from the street, but as he tries to reform his country. As he tries in his crackdown against the militants and to even organize -- reorganize the ISI, his spy agency that has -- believed to have had ties to the militants -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: All right, Chris, I appreciate it. Thank you very much. Chris Burns, live from Karachi, Pakistan.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com