7.58 AM Tuesday, 19 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 05:07 06:20 12:29 15:54 18:33 19:47
19 March 2024

Dubai resident in Pakistan honour killing, claims husband

Samia Shahid, 28, from Bradford, died last week during a visit to relatives in Pandori in Northern Punjab. (Family Photo)

Published
By Staff

Samia Shahid, a British national, living in Dubai died on holiday in Pakistan.

But her husband, Syed Mukhtar Kazam, claims Samia was a victim of honour killing for marrying outside her family.

Samia, 28, who was originally from Bradford, West Yorkshire, died while visiting relatives in her ancestral Punjab village of Pandori.

She was due to return to Dubai, but was reported dead on July 20.

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.

Her second husband Syed Mukhtair, who lived with her Dubai, has now alleged that his wife is a victim of 'honour killing' and claimed his wife's family had always opposed their relationship.

He told the Guardian: "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."

Yet her maternal uncle told MailOnline these claims showed a lack of respect for Ms Shahid, and that he completely trusted the Pakistani authorities.

Now Ms Shahid's local Labour MP wants answers. Naz Shah has demanded the body is exhumed and an independent autopsy is done, reported Guardian.

Samia's family allegedly refused to accept their marriage because he was an 'outsider' and was often harrassed by relatives.

He said his wife had gone to Pakistan because she thought her father was ill.

Syed Mukhtar Kazam said he asked his wife not to stay in Pakistan and waiting for her to come home "was the longest week of his life".

"She was naïve. She always thought about other people, not herself, maybe that's the reason she got killed", he told BBC.

Syed Mukhtar Kazam said he heard from her family that his wife had died of a heart attack after travelling from Dubai to Pakistan.

He is calling for another post-mortem examination to be carried out.

The couple was married in Leeds two years ago, after Samia Shahid divorced the cousin she married in Pakistan.