UK MP seeks probe into ‘honour killing’ of British national in Jhelum

LONDON: British Pakistani Labour MP from Bradford West Naz Shah has called on Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to take interest in a case of alleged “honour killing” involving a British Pakistani girl who married a Pakistani national of her own free will.

Samia Shahid, 27, married Syed Mukhtar Kazam, less than two years ago, against her family's wishes and went to live with his family in Dubai. This month Samia Shahid, originally from Bradford, went to visit her father in a village called “Poteh” near Dina on the 14th of July. Her family, who are also British nationals and Naz Shah MP’s constituents, were in Pakistan following a bereavement within the family.

It is understood that after marrying Syed Mukhtar Kazam, the couple had faced death threats. A family source told The News that Saima Shahid’s sister asked her to come to Pakistan citing her father’s illness. After Saima’s death in mysterious circumstances, her husband was told she died of a heart attack but the parents lodged a statement saying she committed suicide. Her husband lodged an FIR in Jhelum alleging foul play. In the FIR seen by The News, the husband alleged that his wife was buried without his knowledge.

Naz Shah has written to PM Sharif calling for a probe to establish facts. Naz Shah writes in her letter to the PM of Pakistan: “Having spoken to the husband and given the circumstances I would like your personal intervention to assure me that the Pakistan government will look into this matter and ascertain the circumstances of death. From my years of experience around women's rights and work I have done around “honour crime”, this case does fit that classic picture and circumstances of “honour killing”.

She added: “As a women's rights activist and an elected member of the British Parliament this leaves me with a huge responsibility. A responsibility which I take very seriously. If this is true, we must ensure justice is done for Samia and we must ensure this never happens again. This idea that you can take your daughter to Pakistan and kill her as you can literally get away with it must be eradicated. There is no honour in killing. It is an evil which we must rid our communities of.

“I am asking for 2 things: exhumation of the body and independent autopsy.”

Syed Mukhtar said that he spoke to Samia on the day she died and she was stressed. He says he then called her again and no answer, he then sent an SMS and also tried to contact her sister through What’s App. The messages showed they were opened and read, he said. Then a British cousin Mobeen spoke to him that evening many hours later and said she'd had a heart attack.

The husband claims that the family buried her before they even told him that she was dead. He has confirmed that Mobeen had threatened him and Samia both that he would kill them when they married.

Syed Mukhtar Ali believes his wife was murdered in an "honour killing" by her parents and family. He wants the body to be exhumed and an independent autopsy/post mortem be held to establish the real cause of death.