The ex-husband and father of a British woman suspected to be the victim of an “honour” killing appeared in a Pakistani court Saturday after being arrested by police.
Samia Shahid died last month during a visit to her family village in Punjab province with her second husband, Mukhtar Kazam, claiming she was murdered for bringing “dishonour” on her family.
“Shahid’s ex-husband, Muhammad Shakeel, who was on pre-arrest bail, was arrested along with Shahid’s father, Muhammad Shahid, after a local court did not extend Shakeel’s bail,” Aqeel Abbas, a local police official, told AFP.
Abbas said both men would remain in custody for four days in Jhelum, 126 kilometres (78 miles) east of the capital Islamabad.
Police have not charged the men.
Kazam and Shahid, a dual British-Pakistani citizen, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai, police told AFP.
Kazam, who is Pakistani, said his wife had angered her parents by converting to Shia Islam, his sect, before their wedding.
Earlier this month at an emotional news conference he had presented a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife’s death that said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, suggesting she had been strangled.
Shahid’s father has denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes.
The victims of “honour” killings are overwhelmingly women, with hundreds killed each year.
They have long polarised Pakistan, with progressives calling for tough legislation against them and conservatives resisting
