Judea Pearl, father of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl, hailed Operation Sindoor for bringing attention to other criminals involved in his son's murder in Pakistan.
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00:00Now, the Indian airstrikes on terror bases left many dead, according to government sources, more than 100.
00:06Among the terrorists killed are Mudassar Khadiyan Khas of the Lashkar-e-Toyba, who was in charge of the base in Mureet K.
00:13Hafiz Mohamed Jameel of the Jaysha Mohamed, in charge of the base in Bawalpur.
00:17Abu Akasha of the Lashkar-e-Toyba, who allegedly was involved in multiple terrorist attacks in J&K.
00:23Mohamed Hassan Khan, the Jaysha Mohamed's operational commander in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
00:28And Mohamed Yusuf Azar, the brother-in-law of Mawlana Masood Azar.
00:34And in fact, the Jaysha is the one which has suffered a lot in that attack on Bawalpur.
00:40Remember, it was the Jaysha Mohamed which, several years ago, killed Daniel Pearl, a journalist, tortured and killed him.
00:50And there was a sense that there had been no justice given to the Pearl family.
00:54As we get reports of Jaysha members being killed in the terror strikes, I spoke a short while ago to a very special guest.
01:03Judea Pearl is the father of Daniel Pearl.
01:07Mr. Pearl, I first of all thank you for joining me.
01:10India's Operation Sindhu launched after that deadly Pahalgam attack targeting terror camps associated with Lashkar-e-Toyba and Jaysha Mohamed,
01:18the very same terrorist group linked to your son Daniel Pearl's murder.
01:22What was your reaction, sir, when you first heard about India's airstrikes on those terror camps?
01:27People asked me if this constitutes some sort of a closure, and I thought that it acted the opposite way.
01:39It really was a disclosure, which means it was, I'm talking about the Operation Sindhuur,
01:49was really an operation that called attention to the two other persons or criminals involved in my son's murder.
02:02And this is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Omar Sheikh.
02:10So I'm very grateful for Operation Sindhuur for raising this issue and focusing,
02:24highlighting the fact that two additional criminals still have not been brought to justice.
02:36Several Pakistani officials, army officers, were spotted Mr. Pearl attending the funeral of the terrorists killed in India's surgical strike on May 7th.
02:45Standing alongside them was Hafiz Abdul Rao, a U.S.-designated global terrorist.
02:49What do you believe the message goes, what is the message that goes out when you see this,
02:55about Pakistan's stance on terrorism, particularly in relation to Daniel's case?
03:02I was surprised and saddened by this sight.
03:07I saw the dignitaries, the government officials, I saw clerics, and I saw army officers,
03:15and I asked myself, I asked my friends in Pakistan, whether this kind of message they want to send to their children,
03:25whether they want their children to reveal whoever person they bemoaned.
03:34It was, I was, I was very surprised and saddened by that.
03:39And I don't think they meant it.
03:42Or at least, it was also saddened to my friends to see this sight.
03:50One final question, Mr. Pearl.
03:53In 2021, the Pakistani Supreme Court ordered the release of Omar Sheikh,
03:57the man, many believe, behind your son's murder.
04:00He was released from prison.
04:02Then U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Brinkin expressed concern over his acquittal,
04:06called up Pakistan's foreign minister.
04:09The terrorist was then shifted to another jail in Lahore.
04:11His death row was reduced to a prison sentence.
04:14How do you view Pakistan's claims of action against Daniel's killers?
04:18Have they really acted against them?
04:22Well, that was another surprise for me.
04:24And we worked very hard to prevent or to work with the Pakistani Supreme Court
04:32not to allow for his exoneration.
04:36And I think it was a public pressure that eventually caused them to retain him
04:47in what they call a government safe house next to the jail, but not in the jail.
04:54So he enjoys good life now, which is, again, a wrong signal for the next generation Pakistanis.
05:06That's right.
05:07Terribly wrong signals sent out when you're seen to be patronizing terrorists.
05:11Judy Pearl, for joining me at this moment, I appreciate you coming on the show.