Samia Shahid 'honour killing': Arrest warrants issued for mother and sister in Pakistan

Formal arrest warrants for the mother and sister of Samia Shahid have been issued due to her 'honour killing'. Imtiaz Bibi, her mother, and Madiha Shahid, her sister, were proclaimed offenders in Pakistan. The arrest warrants were issued by a judge when they failed to appear in court.

The police believe they were involved in Samia Shahid's death. The 28-year-old Bradford woman died in Pakistan and her father and first husband have been held in connection with her death. It was claimed that she died of a heart attack but a later post-mortem found that she had been strangled.

It's alleged Shahid's mother and sister lured her to Pakistan, saying her father was lying, according to new court papers. They are accused of "emotionally blackmailing" her and are now wanted on suspicion of "abetting the murder", according to MailOnline.

The report says Syed Mukhtar Kazim, Shahid's second husband "Madiha and Imtiaz had played an instrumental role in alluring (sic) Samia to come to Pakistan to be a victim of their devious plan". Police want to question the two women, believing they are involved in Shahid's death.

Madiha is said to been in contact with Samia Shahid at least 15 times in as many days, "crying" that their father was dangerously ill.

Shahid texted a friend: "My family didn't tell me about it but mybsis (baby sister) called me cryin'.

She added: "Pray i come bk alive on 21july my pysco cuzzan (Mohammed Shakeel) see".

Aqeel Abbas, a leading police officer in the original investigation, has been charged with perverting the course of justice. He is accused of obstructing the police by allowing the mother and sister to leave the country.

Her first husband Chaudhry Muhammad Shakeel is accused of her murder while her father Chaudhry Muhammad Shahid is held as a suspected accessory, according to the BBC.

In 2015, a total of 1,096 women and 88 men were killed in so-called honour killings in Pakistan, according to the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. However, activists say that the real number could be much higher as many cases go unreported.