Pakistan cops name woman’s DAD as chief suspect over her death
Mystery surrounds sudden death of beauty therapist Samia Shahid
COPS in Pakistan investigating the alleged 'honour killing' of Brit beauty therapist in Pakistan said her father is a key suspect for her murder.
Mohammed Shahid had earlier slammed allegations his daughter Samia, 28, was killed by relatives who disapproved of her marrying outside the family.
This afternoon detectives in the Punjab region of Pakistan said her he is an official suspect.
Earlier today he said: “How could I or my family kill her?
“She was our beloved daughter.
“If I am proved the killer I am ready to be hanged.”
He added: “I disapproved her marriage but we had now accepted it.
“We were even ready to welcome our son-in-law to our home.”
Samia, originally from Bradford, West Yorkshire, died visiting relatives in her ancestral Punjab village of Pandori on Wednesday.
She was buried in a village graveyard following an immediate post-mortem in which local police claimed to have found no visible injuries or signs of violence on her body.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has vowed to investigate the mysterious death and has agreed to exhume Samia’s body for tests.
His spokesman, Dr Musadik Malik, told The Sun: “The PM received a letter from British MP Naz Shah and has ordered the authorities to do whatever is necessary to find out the truth behind Samia Shahid’s death.
“The intelligence agencies have been asked to conduct secret investigations while her body could be exhumed for a second independent autopsy.
“The initial post-mortem looks dubious, although a final report is still awaited.
“The PM summoned the report, so far, of the alleged murder and finds the police report had been rushed and so was the burial.”
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Ms Shahid’s second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam, believes his wife was murdered by family who disapproved of their marriage.
Her family told him she suffered a heart attack or an asthma attack.
But Mr Kazam, who married her at Leeds Town Hall in September 2014, said: “I am sure my wife is killed by the family.
She was healthy and she had no disease.
“I believe she was killed because her parents were not happy with our marriage.”
Inspector Mohammad Aqeel Abbas, investigating the case, said he sent samples from the body to Pakistan’ top forensics lab in Lahore on Tuesday, adding there were no visible injuries or signs of struggle on her body.
But Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told The Sun: “The investigation by police is not satisfactory.
“We have ordered re-investigations to solve this mystery. Exhumation of the body is an option. We are considering a second autopsy.
“I am myself looking into the investigations and am being updated on a regular basis.
“This looks like a murder rather than a death of natural causes.
“Investigators are being changed after the statement of the deceased’s husband. We will find out soon what really happened.
“As for us, we are investigating a murder unless it is proven otherwise.
“The doctors do not believe she had any major diseases. Death at 28 in the absence of an accident or a major disease is surprising.”
He said the parents were being interrogated.
Samia’s dad earlier told police: “My daughter was living a very peaceful and happy life. She had come to Pakistan on her own and was not under any pressure from her family.”
Bradford West MP Ms Shah said she became involved in the case after she was contacted by a concerned constituent, adding: “I’m not going to rest until I'm satisfied I know the cause of her death.
“I’ve been in touch with various officials, through the Foreign Office and the High Commission, both in Pakistan and Britain.
“I’ve also written to the prime minister in Pakistan to give his personal intervention to ascertain the cause of death of Samia Shahid.”
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