On 20 July 2016, Samia Shahid, a British woman, was found dead in Punjab, Pakistan. Her former husband and her father were arrested; however, almost two years later they have still not been charged. Her father was released on bail by the high Court and later the Supreme Court confirmed in an appeal by the prosecution that there is no evidence against him.
In July 2016, Samia Shahid received a telephone call, claiming that father was critically ill in Pakistan. In order to visit her father, Shahid flew to Islamabad airport against the advice of her husband, Mukhtar Kazim, who believed that the call was a lie because Shahid's family "felt a furious sense of shame towards their daughter" for divorcing her first husband, Shakeel. On the day before Shahid was due to fly back, Kazim stated that the "constant stream of instant messages" Shahid had been sending unexpectedly ceased. Shahid was found dead in her cousin's home in Punjab, Pakistan on 20 July 2016, six days after landing in Pakistan. There are conflicting reports on the cause of Shahid's death. According to Kazim, Shahid's cousin Mobeen told him over telephone that Shahid had died of a heart attack. However, local press agencies reported that Shahid had committed suicide as a result of depression over not having children, a report which Shahid's family denies. After receiving the news of his wife's death, Mukhtar Kazim alleged that Shahid was murdered by her family because they rejected their marriage. On the basis of his complaint, Samia's father, Muhammad Shahid, and Shakeel were arrested by Jhelum police and sent to jail on remand. On 14 August 2016, police stated that Shakeel confessed to strangling Shahid.
Investigation
Police report
Abubakar Buksh, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, stated: "We have completed our investigation and concluded that her ex-husband Muhammad Shakeel and father Muhammad Shahid were involved in her killing." Buksh also stated that Shakeel had been charged with raping Shahid. According to the report, a day before reaching Islamabad, Samia sent a text message to her friend saying that she was in fear for her life. The police report concluded that after arriving in Punjab her first husband Shakeel was told to watch Samia by her father. When Samia refused to tell Shakeel about her passport and plane ticket, he threw her on the bed and raped her. Samia then managed to run out of the room and told Shahid that she would go to the British High Commission. Her father was standing on the stairs where she told him that she was leaving. Shahid then gave Shakeel an indication and he strangled Samia with her scarf while Shahid held her legs. It was also revealed that Shakeel was disappointed because Samia divorced him and his chances of moving to the United Kingdom and becoming a British citizen were finished. The police also said that Shahid could have pardoned his nephew if he had been charged with Samia's murder under The Diyya law of Pakistan.
Legal proceedings
Pre-trial court proceedings and death of father
In September 2016, Muhammad Shahid submitted an application in the court for getting bail. The application of bail was rejected for Shahid however the bail was granted to SHO Aqeel Abbas on 10 September 2016. The lawyer of Muhammad Shahid, Mian Muhammad Arif said that he will take the appeal to a higher court in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Samia's father was released on bail in December 2016, as the evidence presented did not support refusal of bail. He died in a Lahore Hospital in January 2018 at the age of 52.
