British woman murdered in Pakistan for converting to Shia Islam

The husband of a British woman who was killed in Pakistan called for the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure his wife received justice Thursday, as he sought to keep the spotlight on so-called honour killings.

 

 

The husband of a British woman who was killed in Pakistan called for the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure his wife received justice Thursday, as he sought to keep the spotlight on so-called honour killings.

Mukhtar Kazam presented a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife Samia Shahid’s death at an emotional press conference, which said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, and suggested she had been strangled.

Kazam said his wife converted to Shia, his sect, before their wedding, which had irked her parents.

In a complaint to police he has claimed she was murdered during a visit to her family in their village in Punjab province on July 20.

Shahid’s father has denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes.

Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan.