British law graduate, 26, shot dead at home in Pakistan after ‘two men fought over who should marry her’
A BRITISH law graduate was shot dead in Pakistan after two men fought over her, it is claimed.
Mayra Zulfiqar, 26, was reportedly shot and strangled by suspects who broke into her apartment in Lahore yesterday.
Ms Zulfiqar had moved to Pakistan just two months ago from the UK, where she was a law student at Middlesex University and went on to work as a paralegal at law firm Duncan Blackett.
She had been renting an apartment with a friend in the Defense area of Lahore where she was discovered dead next to her phone, according to local reports.
A preliminary post-mortem examination revealed the victim had been strangled and shot - with scars also found on her body.
According to Lahore police, the suspects broke into the house and killed her.
In legal documents filed by the woman’s uncle, it is alleged that two friends of the victim were attempting to force her into marriage - but she had refused both of them.
According to the document, his niece had also visited to the house a few days before the incident and complained that two men were threatening and harassing her.
One former neighbour paid tribute to her as a "happy young woman" and said he recalled seeing her coming to and from her family home in Feltham, Middlesex.
A red VW Golf which is said to have once belonged to her remains sitting on the family's driveway for sale.
And the local added they were a quiet family who kept separate from much of the neighbourhood.
He said: "She seemed like a happy young woman, and I still can’t believe it.
“She was young, probably in her twenties. She didn’t seem to talk much, but she was a happy person, smiling a lot. "
Station House Officer (SHO) Qasim, of Lahore Police, said the woman travelled to Pakistan from the UK to attend a wedding - but did not return.
He added: “The woman had a bullet wound to the shoulder, but the exact cause of death will be known after her post-mortem and forensic report, whether the death was due to a gunshot wound or whether her throat was strangled.”
Qasim said that the woman’s uncle had registered a legal complaint with police.
Two other men are also being probed by cops on suspicion of assisting the alleged killers. Police have not yet made any arrests.
The crime scene has been cordoned off as forensic experts investigate.
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a . from 10am to noon.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans on (free) 116123