The United States government has expressed deep concerns over the case that involves release of Omar Sheikh, the prime accused in the murder of Wall Street Journalist Daniel Pearl.

According to the media reports, speaking to journalists in Washington, a spokesperson for the US State Department said: “The United States remains deeply concerned by developments in the cases of those involved in Pearl’s kidnapping and murder. “We are alarmed by the recent order to move Sheikh and his co-conspirators from prison.”

The US official recalled that on Jan 29, US State Secretary Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi discussed “how to ensure accountability for convicted terrorist Omar Sheikh and others responsible for the kidnapping and murder of US citizen and journalist Daniel Pearl”.

Media also reported that a total of 36 members of the US Congress issued a letter to Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, urging the country to undertake a full review of acquittal of the accused in the case of the 2002 killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week said that the US is prepared to prosecute Sheikh in the US, a position that the lawmakers strongly supported.

It is pertinent to mention here that Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the authorities to shift Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the prime accused in Daniel Pearl’s murder, from a death cell in the Karachi Central Prison to a government rest house within the next two days.