Chamba House mystery: Female worker of PML-N found dead

Police says evidence points to death from drug overdose or ingesting of poisonous substance

LAHORE: A 35-year-old woman, believed to be a political worker of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, was found dead in a room at the MNA hostel here on Sunday.

The woman, identified as Samia Chaudhry, arrived here from Islamabad and had been living in the hostel, also known as Chamba House, for four days. The hostel is situated near the Race Course.

Samia had arrived with other PML-N workers in connection with political activities two days before checking in at the hostel on November 22.

She used the reference of an MNA from Sahiwal (NA-161), Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf, to stay at the hostel as no one is allowed to stay there without the reference of an MNA.

The woman’s husband, the complainant in the FIR registered at the Race Course police station, said that he had last talked with his wife on November 24.

On November 26, he was informed about his wife’s death by the staff of the Chamba House. He claimed that his wife was a relative of MNA Chaudhry Ashraf.

Chaudhry Ashraf, however, denied claims that Samia was his relative though he acknowledged that she used to live in his home constituency.

According to Ashraf, the woman harboured a desire to become a member of parliament on a reserved seat for women.

“People from my constituency often introduce themselves as my relatives, and I don’t exactly discourage them,” he said.

He said that when the victim’s husband had called him, saying that he was unable to contact his wife, he had directed his personal secretary to look into the matter.

On his advice, the secretary had called the rest house and the staff there had found her dead in the room.

The autopsy report stated that the victim’s body bore no torture marks. Doctors have sent samples to the Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory to ascertain the exact cause of death.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2016.