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Omar was arrested in Lahore and handed over to police of Sindh province investigating the case, Punjab Inspector General Police Malik Asif Hayat told mediapersons in Islamabad.
The arrest of Sheikh, connected to the Al-Faran militant outfit, which was blamed for the kidnapping and killing of five foreign tourists in Kashmir in 1995, followed the detention of two former officials of Pakistan's ISI.
"It is a major breakthrough in the case. He is being interrogated in Lahore and he has told the interrogators that Pearl is alive and in Karachi," Karachi police chief Tariq Jamil said.
Omar Sheikh is one of the militants released by the government in exchange for the passengers of Indian Airlines Flight IC 814, which was hijacked to Kandahar.
Three militants, arrested earlier in connection with the case, had told interrogators that the photograph of Pearl sent along with e-mails to his employers and some other persons were given to them by Omar.
The three men were said to have been working as intermediaries between the WSJ journalist and militant outfits. Pearl had reportedly interviewed members of militant groups through these men.
Omar's arrest came ahead of President Gen Pervez Musharraf's visit to Washington beginning on Tuesday.
Earlier, Pakistan police produced three associates of Sheikh in an anti-terrorism court at southern port city of Karachi for judicial remand amid tight security.
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