Jury clears man over claims of Yorkshire plot to kill woman in Pakistan

Adnan Khalid, 25, of Fairview Avenue, Carlinghow, Batley was unanimously found not guilty by a jury at Leeds Crown Court yesterday of conspiring to murder Neelam Amjid, who was shot in Lahore on March 31, last year.

Although struck by five bullets from a semi automatic pistol the mother of four survived as they all missed vital organs.

She was allegedly attacked when she went to an arranged meeting with Khalid’s brother Mir Hamza Khalid expecting to receive some money from her former husband Amjid Ali, who was the Khalids’ brother-in-law.

Khalid told the jury in evidence he had no reason to harm Miss Amjid, who is now 32.

Ali, 42 of Aysgarth Road, Batley also denies conspiring to murder his former wife.

The jury was yesterday discharged by the trial judge, Mr Justice Andrew Smith from giving a verdict in his case after they had spent two days in deliberation.

Robert Smith QC prosecuting indicated the Crown would ask for a retrial, expected to last around three weeks, for which a date is yet to be fixed.

During the trial the court heard Mrs Amjid had gone to Lahore to stay with the family of Waqas Saeed after getting to know him through Facebook.

He had accompanied her to the arranged meeting in Lahore and was also struck by a bullet as he waited in a car nearby. That hit him in the back leaving him permanently paralysed.