Father extradited from Pakistan to Italy in 'honour killing' case

Italian justice minister terms it ‘step forward’ to allow justice to run its full course

ROME:

A man wanted for the killing of his 18-year-old daughter has been extradited from Pakistan to Italy where he will face trial, the Italian justice minister said on Thursday.

Shabbar Abbas was arrested in his village in Punjab last November on suspicion of killing Saman Abbas, his daughter, who had gone missing in April 2021 after refusing to travel to Pakistan for an arranged marriage.

"This is a step forward to allow justice to run its full course after an horrific crime," Justice Minister Carlo Nordio said in a statement, adding that the suspect was on his way to Italy.

The teenaged victim was identified by dental records after human remains were found near her family home in the northern Italian town of Novellara more than a year after her disappearance.

Read also: Italians identify remains of Saman Abbas in 'honour killing' case

Prosecutors believe that the family was angered when they found out that Abbas had a boyfriend in Italy.

They allege she was killed when she returned to the family home to collect some documents after living nearby for a while under the care of social services.

The father has denied that his daughter is dead. Her uncle was extradited from France to face trial, along with two of her cousins.