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Pregnant Pakistani woman found dead in UK, in-laws blame ‘djinn’

Published: April 25, 2012

Nalia Mumtaz was found lying lifeless in her house, father-in-law says djinn came from Pakistan to kill her. PHOTO COURTESY: DAILY MAIL

A pregnant woman, belonging to Pakistan, was found smothered to death by her in-laws who later claimed that she may have been killed by an evil spirit, reported Daily Mail.

A court in Birmingham hearing the case was told that Nalia Mumtaz, 21, was murdered by her husband, his parents and his brother-in-law who deny charges of murder and manslaughter, the report said.

Mumtaz was pronounced dead at a hospital after she was rushed there by paramedics who found her lying lifeless on a bed at her home. Her father-in-law Ziaul Haq had alleged that a djinn had been sent from Pakistan to kill Mumtaz.

Prosecutor Christopher Hotten crossed out the possibility of ill-health being the cause of the death telling the court that she was regularly checked by various midwives and both she and her baby appeared healthy.

He added that Mumtaz had called her parents in Jhelum a day before her death and told them that she was ‘not at peace’ with her in-laws.

Mumtaz was born in Pakistan and entered into an arranged marriage with her husband in August 2007. 

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Reader Comments (28)

  • Umer
    Apr 25, 2012 - 8:44PM

    in-laws blame ‘djinn’

    It won’t work. In UK they should have come over with a better excuse,

    Imagine the living in bubble mentality of those living in UK for years, though.

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  • MK
    Apr 25, 2012 - 8:46PM

    extremely distressing. may the truth come forward IA and the killers be given their due punishment.

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  • Asif Khan
    Apr 25, 2012 - 9:00PM

    Even when they go to foreign countries they take their sick mentalities with them. And the mother-in-law wears a hijab and the other murderers have beards. What’s the use of being religious if you use it to hide your crimes.

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  • waqas
    Apr 25, 2012 - 9:26PM

    pakistani diaspora in UK is a disgrace to entire nation.they should learn something from their counterparts in USA.

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  • Salim Rizwan
    Apr 25, 2012 - 9:35PM

    @Asif Khan:

    Changing countries doesn’t change mindsets. A lot of pakistanis living in foreign countries are as homophobic,misogynistic and intolerant of atheists,agnostics as any person in a madrassa.

    Our people immigrate only for the higher salaries and welfare benefits, otherwise the religious hate and intolerance is the same they had while in pakistan. The most violent homophobes in Europe sadly turn out to be Muslims.

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  • Talha Bajwa
    Apr 25, 2012 - 9:39PM

    Wearing a Hijab or Abaya doesn’t make any woman better or more pious than any woman in normal clothes. Growing a beard doesn’t make any man more shareef or naik than any clean shaven man. These are all tactics used by people to exploit religious symoblism in order to portray to the world that they are very holy and honest people.
    These killers should be punished in accordance with the law. They did what our people do back home in pakistan, abusing or killing your daughter in law is very easily done back home but in civilised countries there is a price to pay.

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  • Farooq
    Apr 25, 2012 - 9:58PM

    One positive from this story, atleast the “djinn” got a visa for the UK from Pakistan with no apparent trouble

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  • Much Amused
    Apr 25, 2012 - 10:49PM

    The “djinn” will be proclaimed an absconder and sentenced/punished in absentia !!! Which planet are these people from using an imported Djinn as an excuse. It is a pity that UK does not have capital punishment.

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  • Abbas
    Apr 25, 2012 - 10:54PM

    Trust these expats to make us look like idiots.

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  • Mohammad Ali Siddiqui
    Apr 25, 2012 - 11:42PM

    The are no “djinn’s” in UK like in Pakistan.

    The murderers are putting the blame on djinn to hide the crime.

    I am optimistic that Scotland Yard Police will unearth the truth and severe punishment will be awarded to the murderers.

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  • Zubair
    Apr 25, 2012 - 11:59PM

    @Waqas
    And you should learn something from everyone else and try hard not to make pathetic comments. There are 1.2m Muslims in the UK. They are not all murderers.
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  • ishtiaq
    Apr 26, 2012 - 12:16AM

    First it is terror related crap and now this “joke”.Pakistanis and Kashmiris in the UK really do give a very bad perception of Islam and their rich culture. Having resided in uk for over 30′s years….one thing is crystal clear majority of the expats (including 3rd generation) do live in the past (50′s & 60′s mindset of their parents). The irony of it all is that, the new expats, students etc who move to UK from Pak/Kash have moved with time. It is shocking! I hope Imran Khan comes to power and bring change….this will give people the option to move back….perhaps?!!! (expat Kashmiri)

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  • Londoner
    Apr 26, 2012 - 12:23AM

    @Waqas!
    Dear oh Dear!!! What a rubbish comment we have here… Do you even realise what the UK Pakistani’s have contributed to Pakistan? As well as educating and uplifting ourselves in one generation – we contribute billions in foreign remmitances to Pakistan. What a narrow minded and offensive individual you are.

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  • Kamal
    Apr 26, 2012 - 12:42AM

    Did Nalia Mumtaz become christian and murtad?

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  • Pollack
    Apr 26, 2012 - 2:07AM

    The in-laws appear to be the djinns so the father in law is not totally incorrect in blaming the djinns. By the way, why would he want to disgrace Pakistan by saying that the djinns came from Pakistan?He should have said that the djinn were white skinned English or at least Indian. He is definitely not a part of the ghairat brigade.That’s very unpatriotic of him.

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  • Nayla
    Apr 26, 2012 - 2:14AM

    Perhaps someone should have told them, UK courts don’t believe in the supernatural silly stuff like Jinns, sorcery, black magic, etc. They may have been able to blame a Jinn in Saudi and get off for the murder, but that crap won’t fly in the West. I really can’t believe that people still believe in Jinns and black magic in this day and age.

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  • Apr 26, 2012 - 3:14AM

    Don’t worry the UK police are smart. They will teach this family a good lesson. Djinn indeed. I feel the majority of Pakistanis in the UK are not modern at all. I am from Hyderabad in India and have been brought up under the heavy influence of muslim culture, even our cook in Hyderabad for 24 years was a muslim although we are brahmins.But the moment I see our Pakistani brothers and sisters in the UK I freeze and I am sure that if I were to visit Pakistan I would not feel the same. Now this should be self explanatery. They are a misled people. They need urgent help from the pakistani people back home.

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  • Apr 26, 2012 - 3:21AM

    @Londoner:
    Your language says a lot about you. Are you giving money to Waqas?. So why should he take trash from you? You and the expat Pakistanis are not running the country. I live in the UK and the Indians back home are not impressed with the NRIs [ non resident or non reliable Indians]. So is the case here. Dear oh dear! Sorry to burst your bubble!

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  • Imran Bhatt
    Apr 26, 2012 - 3:35AM

    I think Mumtaz’s in-laws should be asked to present the djinn to prove their innocence.

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  • SoundOfFury
    Apr 26, 2012 - 3:43AM

    It was the genie from Alaadin your honor, please believe me.

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  • Awais
    Apr 26, 2012 - 3:49AM

    You know what I am tired of? people like this:

    They move to these European Countries (I don’t know how it is in N.America) but instead of changing themselves to fit in with the Europeans, they bring with them their own rules which they expect the natives to adapt.

    I believe we have too many rights as it is, we don’t need more we should start following their rules rather than giving these hypocrite maulanas too much power and make it Pakistan v.2 with hypocrites running the country. The UK government should also take steps to ensure the Country isn’t engulfed by these extremists, who want to introduce a very violent Sharia.

    The Saudis don’t even allow any places of worhsip in their country, Pakistan does allow them but officially but aren’t very friendly to other religions, shouldn’t we thank these people for allowing us to build mosques and getting freedom in these countries which frankly are not ours.

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  • Akbar Illahabadi
    Apr 26, 2012 - 8:05AM

    All I can say is that Muslims badly need education – and not of the religious variety. Shocking to read things like this in this day and age ! “Djinn” ??

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  • vasan
    Apr 26, 2012 - 12:16PM

    If Pakistani muslims living in UK makes statements like this, why wouldnt there be discrimination, whether Amnesty International complains or not.

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  • Pakistani
    Apr 26, 2012 - 2:21PM

    @vasan:
    Please dont make generic statement and try to blame “pakistani muslims”… criminals are in every society that doesnt mean the whole nation is corrupt….

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  • PK Expat
    Apr 26, 2012 - 8:56PM

    So, who believes in Djinns? Or black magic? Is there any evidence of their existence other than the standard Islamic studies info going around? Does anybody have valid experiences.

    In this case, its just a stupid excuse of course, but I am more interested in whether there is any solid evidence for the existence of Djinns.

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  • PK Expat
    Apr 26, 2012 - 9:11PM

    @Awais, hey man remember when they colonized your countries and raped and pillaged for a duration of over 200 years? We don’t remember that because we weren’t there but we should be aware of it because history shapes everything. So, yeah we should respect Europeans allowing muslims to build mosques abroad, but after they looted from our homelands, I think it is OK that they show some respect to us. Remember, we still pay them taxes while we build our mosques etc. and we’re not exactly first class citizens there all the time. Just, perspective mate.

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  • Neha
    May 1, 2012 - 10:21PM

    Well what can l say… Their are a disgrace. I say send them back home after found guilty. They don’t deserve to live here. Britain is far to lenient on such idiots. Recommend

  • Kay
    May 31, 2012 - 12:26AM

    Who ever doesn’t believe in djinns is not Muslim Quran/ Allah says there are djinns. Recommend

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