Washington, Mar 28 (ANI): The Georgetown university has decided to investigate the kidnapping and killing of Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report Daniel Pearl a few years back. It announced plans for an investigative journalism seminar in which faculty and students would search for clues as to what really happened when Pearl was kidnapped and murdered in Karachi in 2002.

The Pearl Project of University's School of Continuing Studies will be led by Barbara Feinman Todd, the associate dean of journalism and former Wall Street Journal reporter, Asra Q Nomani, who is to join Georgetown as a professor in the practice of journalism.

Nomani, Pearl's friend and colleague from his days at the WSJ's Washington bureau, rented the Karachi home where Pearl and his wife Mariane were staying at the time of his disappearance.

Sadly, we couldn't save Danny, but journalists are sort of like the Marines. We can't leave the truth behind. For the five years since Danny was killed, I have wanted to find out the full truth behind Danny's kidnapping and murder, the Daily Times quoted Nomani as saying.

The project will consist of graduate students and undergraduate English majors. Those enrolled in the seminar will investigate motive and attempt to determine who really killed Pearl. They will also examine the wider relationship between the Muslim world and the press and profile others who have died in the front lines of journalism, added the paper.

The project will take place during the Fall 2007 semester, and has the support of Pearl's family and his widow, Mariane, who now lives in Paris.

In a message from Paris, Mariane Pearl reportedly said, The Pearl Project is meaningful not only for Danny, for our son Adam, and for me, but also for all journalists and citizens. This investigation is crucial for the sake of truth and independence, two values treasured by my husband and by other courageous journalists who refuse to make compromises - political or otherwise - in their quest to tell the story. (ANI)