Father arrested after British woman’s ‘honour killing’

TWO family members have been arrested in connection with the alleged “honour killing” of British woman Samia Shahid, who died while visiting relations in rural Pakistan last week.

Ms Shahid’s father Chaudhury Shahid was arrested yesterday, along with a cousin of the dead woman.

They had both been named by Ms Shahid’s second husband, Syed Mukhtair, in a first information report (FIR) which accuses the family of murdering his wife. But they were arrested only for giving contradictory statements, officials said.

Local police chief Aqail Abbass said the arrests were not part of a murder investigation, but part of a broader investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ms Shahid’s death.

Ms Shahid, a beauty therapist from Bradford, was reported dead last week in Pandori village near Mangla province in northern Punjab. Ms Shahid’s father says she died of natural causes.

Mr Syed alleges that the family was unhappy with his wife’s divorce and remarriage to him. He says her family had told her that her father was unwell and that she needed to return to Pakistan. “Her medical condition was perfectly fine. She was 28,” he said.

Ms Shahid’s father denies the allegations, and also denies that a second marriage to Mr Syed ever took place.

Sources told The Daily Telegraph that concerns had arisen over a local press statement given by Mr Chaudhury reportedly claiming his daughter had committed suicide. He had failed to report the purported suicide to police.

Mr Aqail said: “We have still not decided whether this is murder or natural death. For that we are waiting for a final forensics report, after which the cause of death will be determined.”