Awais Sheikh publicly defended his beloved older brother...

Awais Sheikh publicly defended his beloved older brother Sheikh Omar against accusations of terrorism, kidnapping and now murder.
With the British-born Islamic militant sentenced to death in Pakistan for kidnapping and murdering US reporter Daniel Pearl, his younger sibling holds fast to an unwavering belief in his innocence.
"As an older brother, he was someone who totally justified being looked up to," Sheikh told Reuters in an interview from the office of the family's clothing business in east London.
"He is a kind and generous man, who always encouraged me to excel in sports and education. He is no fundamentalist supremo."
Omar, 28, has been convicted of masterminding the abduction and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Pearl, luring him to hostage takers who sawed off his head on video.
Pakistani police said Omar's supporters had threatened to kill Omar's jailers if they carried out death sentence.
Sheikh said the family would appeal the July 15 ruling in Pakistan but understood it could be up to a year before the case returned to court.
"While that is a relief because the sentence won't be carried out during that time, it is also prolonging the torture for us and my brother."
The family hopes the appeal, unlike the trial, will be heard in an open court. They say the trial was flawed and Pakistan was determined to appease the United States with a swift conviction for Pearl's death.