Daniel Pearl (Wall St. Journal photo)

Pakistani authorities are seeking at least four more suspects in the kidnapping and killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl, and investigating whether his murder may have been part of a larger terrorist plot.

Pakistan's Interior Minister, Moinuddin Haider says investigators know the identity of the suspects still at large. Pakistani authorities already have a Muslim militant leader known as Sheikh Omar in custody, along with several other suspects.

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The New York Times reports Saturday that Mr. Pearl's killing may have been part of a plot that was to have included an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city. Other reports say the attack may be part of an effort to destabilize the government of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, because he ordered a crackdown on militant groups in the country.

Confirmation of Mr. Pearl's death came in a videotape delivered to the U.S. Consulate. The tape shows Mr. Pearl reading a statement to his captors saying he is Jewish, and then shows that he was beheaded, apparently a short time later.

The man who delivered the videotape, a Pakistani journalist, has been detained for questioning.

Mr. Pearl was kidnapped January 23 in the southern port city of Karachi. It is not known when or where he was executed, and his body has not been found.

The kidnappers demanded the release of Pakistani prisoners detained at the U.S. base in Guantanamo, Cuba. Washington refused to negotiate.

President Bush called the killing an act of barbarism, and said it only deepens U.S. resolve to rid the world of terrorists.

General Musharraf vowed to hunt down every member of the gang that kidnapped Mr. Pearl, saying the killers give a bad name to Pakistan, and to Islam.

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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