Daniel Pearls widow sues al-Qaeda over his murder

Mariane Pearl, the widow of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, has sued Pakistans biggest bank and terrorist organisations, including al-Qaeda, for the 2002 kidnapping, torture and murder of her husband.

Washington, July 19 : Mariane Pearl, the widow of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, has sued Pakistan's biggest bank and terrorist organisations, including al-Qaeda, for the 2002 kidnapping, torture and murder of her husband.

Pearl, who filed the suit at U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, has alleged that Habib Bank directed donations to al-Qaeda and several associated groups and that it provided services to charities with the knowledge that they were "terrorist" groups.

"Plaintiffs seek to hold responsible those terrorists, terrorist organizations and the supporting charitable and banking organizations for the senseless kidnapping, torture and murder of Daniel Pearl," Us Weekly quoted the filed papers, as stating.

The lawsuit alleges that Habib Bank Limited, one of the largest banks in Pakistan, intentionally conducted financial transactions in support of charities linked to extremist groups.

"In doing so Habib and its subsidiaries aided, abetted and provided material support in the form of financial services for the terrorist support organizations," the suit said.

Mariane, who was played by Angelina Jolie in A Mighty Heart, the film adaptation of the ordeal, has also named Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, or Sheikh Omar, who was convicted and sentenced to death in a Pakistani court for his role in the abduction and murder.

Mariane is seeking unspecified damages and just whatever is deemed "appropriate" to prevent the defendants committing similar acts again.

Pearl was the South Asia bureau chief of the Wall Street Journal when he was kidnapped in Karachi in January 2002 while seeking an interview with suspected Islamist militants. After several days in captivity he was beheaded on video.

ANI