Naz Shah wants PM Imran Khan to intervene in honour killing case of Briton

LONDON: Labour Party parliamentarian from Bradford West Naz Shah MP has written to prime minister Imran Khan urging him to intervene in the honour killing case of British Pakistani Samia Shahid who was killed by her parents and former husband in 2016.

Samia Shahid, originally from Bradford, was killed by her family for divorcing her first husband, who was her cousin, to marry Syed Mukhtar Kazim.

Samia Shahid's first husband, Chaudhry Muhammad Shakeel has been freed on bail due to a lack of progress in the trial and he denies her murder but the Bradford West MP wants Prime Minister Imran Khan to intervene and make sure "that the state are prosecuting and are taking real care of what they are doing".

"The fact that he has been released on bail does really raise my concerns. I'm really worried about the state of the case," she has written to the premier, according to a copy of the letter seen by this correspondent.

She told Imran Khan that Samia Shahid was lured to her death in a so called “honour killing” which happened in the village of Pindori in the Punjab over two years ago .

Naz Shah has previously raised the issue of Samia Shahid and British national Barrister Fahad Malik, who was killed two years ago in Islamabad and whose case awaits trial, with the Pakistani authorities.

She wrote: In the first instance her death was presented as non suspicious, however, serious allegations of a cover-up were raised by her husband following a speedy burial. International outrage led to the truth being established, she had died of asphyxiation. Her father and first husband were charged however her father has subsequently passed away.

“This week I have been informed that despite being charged with murder on the basis of clear evidence, the accused has been granted bail having spent two years in custody. I am deeply concerned and am struggling to understand why the state has not taken the lead in this case to pursue justice, and, alarmingly why the onus is on the victim’s family to pursue justice and pay for the prosecution team.”

The MP has written to the PM that she is worried “that this case will be forgotten and that any further delay in proceedings risks justice not being served for Samia and her family. To this end I would welcome any assistance and assurance that your office can give that this is not the case and that this case will be tried to a conclusion.”

Ms Shahid was aged 28 when she was killed. She married to Syed Mukhtar Kazim in Leeds in 2014 and moved to Dubai. Kazim has claimed Shahid's family strongly disapproved of their marriage and wanted to harm him as well.