Husband of woman in ‘honour killing’ calls for justice

RaWalpindi: The husband of a British woman who was killed in Pakistan called for the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure his wife received justice, as he sought to keep the spotlight on so-called honour killings.

Mukhtar Kazam presented a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife Samia Shahid’s death at an emotional press conference, which said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, and suggested she had been strangled.

Kazam has branded her death an “honour killing”, a near daily occurrence in Pakistan in which a relative is murdered by another for bringing the family “dishonour”.

The practice was dragged into the international spotlight earlier this month with the killing of Qandeel Baloch, a polarising Pakistani social media star.

Her brother has confessed to the murder, saying his sister’s behaviour had been “intolerable”.

Kazam sought to keep interna- tional attention on “honour” killings when he spoke to media assembled in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad Thursday.

“I request the British and Pakistani governments to conduct a fair trial,” he said.

Kazam and Shahid, both BritishPakistani dual citizens, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai, police said, adding that it was Shahid’s second marriage.

Kazam said his wife converted to Syiah Islam, his sect, before their wedding, irking her parents.

In a complaint to police, he has claimed she was murdered during a visit to her family in their village in Punjab province on July 20.

Shahid’s father denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes.

The victims of “honour” killings are overwhelmingly women, with hundreds killed each year. — AFP