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| Alleged 'honour' killing victim was murdered, Pakistani police confirm | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Police in Pakistan have confirmed that a woman from Bradford, whose husband believes she was the victim of an “honour” killing, was murdered. | Police in Pakistan have confirmed that a woman from Bradford, whose husband believes she was the victim of an “honour” killing, was murdered. |
| Samia Shahid, 28, died last month in northern Punjab. Her husband, Syed Mukhtar Kazam, said he believed his wife, who was in Pakistan to visit relatives, was killed because her family disapproved of their marriage. | Samia Shahid, 28, died last month in northern Punjab. Her husband, Syed Mukhtar Kazam, said he believed his wife, who was in Pakistan to visit relatives, was killed because her family disapproved of their marriage. |
| Shahid’s family – who deny Kazam’s claims – initially said she had died of a heart attack, but the deputy inspector general, Abu Bakr Khuda Bux, told the BBC that forensic reports showed she was strangled. | |
| He confirmed no arrests had been made in the case, though Shahid’s father, Mohammad, and a cousin, Mobeen, have been interviewed by police. | |
| Shahid’s husband claimed she was killed because she divorced her first husband – a cousin whom she had married in an arranged service – and married Kazam, moving to Dubai with him in 2014. Shahid converted from the Sunni to the Shia school of Islam when the pair married. | Shahid’s husband claimed she was killed because she divorced her first husband – a cousin whom she had married in an arranged service – and married Kazam, moving to Dubai with him in 2014. Shahid converted from the Sunni to the Shia school of Islam when the pair married. |
| Police initially treated Shahid’s death as unsuspicious and a first postmortem reported there were no marks on her body, but a murder inquiry was launched last week and a new team of investigators put in charge of the case. Photographs of the body, seen by the media, appear to show a 19cm-long bruise on her neck. | Police initially treated Shahid’s death as unsuspicious and a first postmortem reported there were no marks on her body, but a murder inquiry was launched last week and a new team of investigators put in charge of the case. Photographs of the body, seen by the media, appear to show a 19cm-long bruise on her neck. |
| “The forensic report has been received by a three-member special investigation committee set up by the chief minister of Punjab and, according to it, Samia Shahid’s death occurred due to asphyxia,” Abubakar Khuda Bakhsh, the chief investigator, told AFP. | |
| Kazam has travelled to Pakistan to put pressure on the authorities to investigate Shahid’s death. Naz Shah, the local MP in Bradford, said he was under 24-hour police protection after receiving death threats. | Kazam has travelled to Pakistan to put pressure on the authorities to investigate Shahid’s death. Naz Shah, the local MP in Bradford, said he was under 24-hour police protection after receiving death threats. |
| Shah has written to the Pakistani authorities to demand a proper investigation into her constituent’s death, raising fears that there could be a cover-up. Kazam has said he fears Shahid’s family will use their local power to hush up the investigation. | Shah has written to the Pakistani authorities to demand a proper investigation into her constituent’s death, raising fears that there could be a cover-up. Kazam has said he fears Shahid’s family will use their local power to hush up the investigation. |
| More than 1,096 “honour” killings were reported in Pakistan last year, though the actual number of victims is likely to be far higher. | More than 1,096 “honour” killings were reported in Pakistan last year, though the actual number of victims is likely to be far higher. |