Militant leader snubs kidnap hunt plea

Pakistan authorities have been snubbed by the leader of a banned militant group when they asked for his help in tracking down the Briton suspected of kidnapping an American reporter.

Meanwhile, authorities postponed for at least one day the court appearance of three men arrested last week and charged with having sent e-mails with pictures of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in captivity

They were to have appeared before a judge today but, officials said, administrative problems forced the delay.

Their arrest led police to name former English public schoolboy and London School of Economics drop-out Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh, as the key suspect in Pearl’s kidnapping.

In an effort to find him, Pakistan authorities asked jailed Maulana Masood Azhar, leader of Islamic militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, to help.

Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider said: ‘‘We asked him if he would call and he said ‘I have nothing to do with Sheikh Omar. I don’t know where he is.’’’

Police believe Saeed has left Karachi but is still in Pakistan, said Haider. But the minister said he is certain that Pearl is still being held captive in Karachi, a sprawling city of 14 million people on the Arabian Sea.

‘‘He could not have moved out of Karachi by road or rail or air. He would have been detected,’’ Haider said. ‘‘His abductors would not have taken this risk because there are many checkposts along the road.’’