Ash-har Quraishi: Key Pearl suspect defiant

CNN's Ash-har Quraishi

(CNN) -- A Pakistani judge Tuesday extended, for the third time, the deadline for prosecutors to file charges against suspects in the kidnap-slaying of American journalist Daniel Pearl, but warned them that time was running out.

The key suspect in the case, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, had a lot to say as he appeared in court in Karachi. CNN Correspondent Ash-har Quraishi is following the story and reported the latest from Karachi on Tuesday.

QURAISHI: A high court judge here in the city of Karachi gave prosecutors one more chance to bring sufficient evidence to file formal charges against Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and three other suspects in the kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl. The judge has issued a 10-day remand in which time prosecutors will have to file those charges. Prosecutors say they want more time to get an FBI report on the authenticity of the videotape showing Pearl's killing. They also want more time to recover Pearl's body and the weapon used in the killing.

Saeed, whom the United States is trying to extradite, made statements before that judge today, in regard to the extradition that may be sought. He said if he were extradited to the United States and then harmed in what he called any kind of a "false encounter," he said America would "suffer the consequences."

CNN: Can you tell us more about what the suspect apparently shouted as he was coming in or out of the courtroom? Apparently he said "America will be finished," is that right?

QURAISHI: We heard him say something along the lines of "Cash in your dollars, America is going down," something to that effect. Right now what we're hearing from prosecutors is also that the 10 days that they've been given would be a last chance until the sentencing, until this whole legal process is concluded in Pakistan, for any extradition to occur, according to Pakistani law.

[Saeed] has been outspoken, he's made conflicting comments. He has made it very clear that he does hold great contempt for the United States. He hasn't tried to hide that.

But the problem [prosecutors have] run into is that the confessions and the admissions that he's made in terms of his involvement in the kidnapping were made without him taking any oath, and the statements were also sort of taken back at that point. But he's not hiding his contempt for the United States.