Former husband denies murder plot

Amjid Ali told a jury at Leeds Crown Court the first he knew about Neelam Amjid being shot in Lahore was when he was in a pizza shop in Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury and received a phone call from his sister who had been told at his home.

His counsel Peter Birkett QC said: “You understand you are here because it is alleged you conspired to murder Neelam. What do you say about that allegation?”

Speaking through an interpreter Ali replied: “I want to say this. I have no link or relevance to this conspiracy. I have no knowledge of any kind.”

He said he was not aware that there was any plan and denied telling Neelam’s brother on the night of the shooting that “she deserved it.”

Ali, 42 of Aysgarth Road, Healey, Batley and his brother-in-law Adnan Khalid, 25 of Fairview Avenue, Carlinghow, Batley both deny conspiracy to murder Mrs Amjid, 32 on March 31 last year.

The jury has heard she went to meet a cousin, Mir Hamza, to collect some money and he allegedly opened fire shooting her five times but the bullets missed vital organs and she survived.

However the man she was with, Saeed Waqas, was left paralysed after he was struck in the spine by one bullet as he waited nearby in a car.

Ali told the jury he and his wife had become distant in their relationship. He denied he was violent to her as she claimed.

She subsequently told him she had met another man Saeed Waqas, through Facebook and wanted a divorce. He wanted to continue the marriage and tried to reconcile but it did not work and eventually he obtained a divorce and she went to Pakistan to meet Waqas.

Her family brought her back from that first visit but she went back again and it was then Ali said he simply arranged with Mir Hamza to pass some money on to his ex wife on the day concerned.

The trial continues.