German-Pakistani tortured, killed by husband

Suspect, facilitators in police custody

JHELUM: A German national of Pakistani origin was allegedly tortured and killed by her husband in Jhelum, the police said on Wednesday.

While rumours of honour killing were rife, Jhelum police chief Hassan Asad Alvi told The Express Tribune that it was too early to issue statements regarding the suspect’s motive. Police have taken the husband and the victim’s son into custody, along with an alleged facilitator, adding that an interrogation was under way, DPO Alvi said.



According to the police, Uzma Khan’s sister Qamrunnissa told the police that her sister, a German national, was shot dead by her husband during a heated argument and he tried to cover it up as an accident.

She said that Uzma, a practicing doctor, was living in Germany with her second husband, Shahbaz Ali, son Ammar and daughter Roha.

On December 19, the family came to Pakistan. Ali went to Jhelum, while Uzma took the children to meet her parents in Kharian.

Qamarunnissa said Uzma told them that Shahbaz was abusive and had also subjected her to domestic violence. On Tuesday, Uzma went to meet Shahbaz at his friend’s house to resolve their issues.

They went to the residence of Jinnah College, Jhelum Principal Malik Naveed. At around 5:45 Shahbaz called Uzma’s family and said that she had fallen and died, Qamrunnissa told the police.

However, she said, Shahbaz had shot her during a heated argument and was trying to make it look like an accidental death.



The complainant said that when she went to Jhelum DHQ Hospital, she saw multiple torture marks and what appeared to be a bullet wound on her sister’s body.

On her complaint, the police registered an FIR and an autopsy was conducted by the MLO at the hospital. According to initial reports, the post-mortem found a wound and pockmarks on her chest, and swelling on the back of the head.

Following the initial findings, the police took Shahbaz Ali, his son Ammar, and Malik Naveed into custody.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2016.