Theo Country's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a decision that lawyers representing Pearl's family branded a travesty of justice that has left his loved ones in complete shock.

Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh was the main suspect in the 2000 and two kidnapping and killing of Pearl, who was abducted in Karachi while investigating militants in the days after the 9 11 attacks on the United States.

Video off Pearl's beheading that emerged at the time grabbed international headlines.

Shake was released by a panel of three judges by a majority vote of 2 to 1.

A provincial advocate general told Reuters.

It was not immediately clear whether acquittal meant a finding of not guilty or if Shake had merely finished his jail terms.

He had served 18 years in prison.

Ah High Court last year commuted the death penalty of British born Shake into a life sentence on acquitted his three co accused, citing a lack of evidence, according to the head of the court panel shaken, three co accused are to be released if they are not required.

In any other cases, the process can take several days.

The government and Pearl's parents have challenged the court decision and asked the Supreme Court's to reinstate the death penalty.

Please, it turned down.

On Thursday, the United States had said that it may seek to retry Sheikh if efforts to keep him in prison failed.