Murdered Pakistani-origin woman committed suicide, claims father

Islamabad, July 31 (IANS) The father of a Pakistani-origin British woman who was allegedly killed for "honour" in Punjab province on July 20, has reportedly changed his statement by saying that his daughter had committed suicide.

In his initial statement, Chaudhry Shahid had told police that his daughter Samia Shahid died of a cardiac arrest, Dawn online reported on Sunday.

His fresh statement was given before a four-member investigation team, headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police Abubakar Khuda Bakhsh on Saturday.

Police officials told Dawn online that Chaudhry Shahid, a suspect in the case lodged by Syed Mukhtar Kazim, Samia's second husband, had told the investigators that his daughter had committed suicide.

The investigation was launched on the orders of the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday to complete the inquiry into the matter within 72 hours.

According to the reports, the 28-year-old woman had bruise marks on her neck which suggested she had been strangled to death.