It was murder: Bradford '˜honour killing' wife was suffocated in Pakistan
A FORENSIC examination of the body of a Bradford woman whose husband believes was the victim of a so-called honour killing shows she was suffocated, according to reports in Pakistan.
Samia Shahid, 28, died last month while visiting relatives in northern Punjab.
Her family said she died from natural causes but Syed Mukhtar Kazam believes she was killed because of her marriage to him, her second husband.
Ms Shahid’s family has strongly denied any involvement in her death.
The News newspaper, in Pakistan, says a forensic report has confirmed that she was murdered.
It said the report “stated clearly that her death had been caused due to suffocation, as she was stopped from breathing”.
The reports follow claims last week from Mr Kazam that a 7.5in (19cm) bruise was found on his wife’s neck. Mr Kazam said he had seen a copy of a post-mortem report.
He married his wife in Leeds in September 2014 after she left her first husband, who was a cousin from Pakistan.
Mr Kazam, from Bradford, said his wife moved to live with him in Dubai last year but had made trips to the UK to talk to her parents about the relationship.
He said she went to Pakistan on July 14 as a member of her family was ill.
Mr Kazam said his wife had been healthy and he did not believe reports of her dying naturally.
Bradford West MP Naz Shah announced she was looking into the death of one of her constituents amid claims she may have been the victim of an honour killing.
Ms Shah said: “I have seen some pictures which are quite graphic in detail - that does really really raise some serious concerns. We need to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible.”