A deadly chapter closed: Operation Sindoor and justice for Daniel PearlIn a dramatic display of precision strikes, India eliminated Abdul Rauf Azhar, the Pakistani terrorist responsible for the abduction and beheading of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002, during Operation Sindoor on May 7. The military operation, launched in retaliation to the brutal killing of 26 people in Pahalgam, also eliminated nine other Jaish-e-Mohammed members in Bahawalpur, including Azhar’s family.Azhar, long wanted for orchestrating the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in December 1999 and involved in the 2001 Parliament and Pathankot attacks, had evaded justice for decades.For Daniel Pearl’s family, the news marked a somber moment of reckoning. Pearl, then the South Asia bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal, had ventured into Pakistan to investigate links between British radical Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani and shoe bomber Richard Reid. Instead, he fell into the trap of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and Abdul Rauf Azhar—a deadly alliance between Jaish-e-Mohammed and al-Qaeda.The life and mission of Daniel Pearl: a journalist’s courageDaniel Pearl was more than a reporter. He was a symbol of journalistic courage, dialogue, and the relentless pursuit of truth. Born in 1963 in Princeton, New Jersey, Pearl graduated from Stanford University and later joined The Wall Street Journal, where his global reporting earned widespread respect.By the time he arrived in Pakistan in early 2002, tensions were high following the collapse of the Taliban regime in neighboring Afghanistan. The region had become a refuge for militant Islamic groups with deep ties to al-Qaeda.Pearl was researching Gilani’s suspected involvement in radical Islamist networks. His dedication led him to send a series of emails to Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who posed as an intermediary willing to arrange a meeting.On January 23, 2002, after nine days of communication, Pearl entered a car in Karachi under the impression he was on his way to interview a cleric. Instead, he was abducted.His captors accused him of being a spy and produced a grisly video of his execution—a moment that shocked the world and drew attention to the growing threat of terrorism against journalists.The Web of Terror: Inside the Plot to Kill Daniel PearlPearl’s murder exposed a nexus of Islamist militant groups operating with impunity in Pakistan. His kidnapping was orchestrated by Omar Sheikh, a British-born jihadist with ties to Jaish-e-Mohammed, while the execution was reportedly carried out by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, al-Qaeda’s third-in-command and architect of the 9/11 attacks.Saud Memon, who owned the Karachi property where Pearl was held and killed, also played a role.Abdul Rauf Azhar, killed in Operation Sindoor, was the mastermind behind Pearl’s abduction. Reports now confirm that the journalist’s dismembered body was found three months later in a shallow grave north of Karachi.Despite numerous arrests, justice was elusive. Sheikh was sentenced to death in 2002, yet the case languished in legal limbo due to over 30 appeal delays and his alleged protection by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).“He even said at the time, ‘The people who put me here will die before I do,’” Pearl’s widow Mariane recounted, citing the powerful forces shielding the convicted.Legacy of Daniel Pearl: justice, journalism, and resilienceDaniel Pearl’s legacy transcends his tragic death. His family continues to campaign for justice and truth, criticizing both Pakistani authorities and Western governments for their inaction.“There is a lack of will to pressure Pakistani authorities by the US government and The Wall Street Journal,” Mariane Pearl told CPJ.Despite setbacks, international focus on Pearl’s case has exposed the complex interplay of terrorism, intelligence cover-ups, and delayed justice.Operation Sindoor, carried out in the name of national security and international justice, has brought a sense of closure to a decades-long fight.“India just eliminated the terrorist who beheaded Daniel Pearl,” one X (formerly Twitter) user posted. “Justice, though delayed, eventually comes for them all.”Pearl’s family had long demanded two things: that every person involved in his murder be brought to justice, and that a memorial be built in Karachi to uphold his ideals of truth and humanity.While the monument remains unbuilt, Operation Sindoor may be the closest realization yet of justice served.