A British-born terrorist sentenced to death for the murder of Jewish-American journalist Daniel Pearl was ordered to be let out of prison on Thursday by Pakistan's Supreme Court, AFP reported.
The court said, however, that Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh should remain in custody in accommodation similar to that given to prison staff while another appeal is considered.
Sheikh and three accomplices have been behind bars since 2002 when they were convicted of the kidnapping and murder of Pearl.
Since then they have won and lost a series of appeals and counter-appeals in connection with the case, with a top court last year overturning their murder convictions.
That decision meant they had completed their sentences on the kidnapping charge, and the court in January ordered them to be released.
They were kept in custody, however, as the provincial and federal governments -- as well as Pearl's family -- launched another petition to keep them behind bars.
On Thursday, the court said they should be confined to prison staff accommodation during the process.
The US has made clear that it would not allow Sheikh to evade justice and has said it stands ready to take custody of Sheikh to stand trial in the US if necessary.