Casefile True Crime: 307: Case 262: Samia Shahid

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Growing up in the English city of Bradford, Samia Shahid was a typical high-spirited girl.

She enjoyed fashion and fast cars and was popular, funny and headstrong.

Samia's family fully supported her endeavors, especially her father, Muhammad.

There was no question that Samia was a daddy's girl.

The Shahid family were well-known around Bradford.

Samia's parents ran a limousine and car service business.

One of her uncles owned a fish and chip shop and another, the local florist.

The Shahid family tree also extended to their ancestral home of Pandori, a small village

in the Punjab region of Pakistan.

Samia and her younger sister, Madiha, were given latitude to enjoy their Western upbringing,

though only up to a point.

The Shahids remained true to their Sunni Muslim faith and Pakistani heritage.

In 2012, as Samia reached her mid-20s, her parents felt it was time for her to settle

down and marry.

Although arranged marriages weren't required by the Sunni faith, they were encouraged,

if not expected, through Pakistani tradition.

Samia wanted to make her family happy and proud and was open to the idea.

Muhammad Shahid chose a man named Chaudhry Shaqil to be his daughter's husband.

Samia was less than enthused.

Shaqil lived in Pandori and had just been released from prison for a non-fatal shooting

of another man over a land dispute.

He was also Samia's first cousin.

Things between first cousins in the British Pakistani community weren't uncommon.

Samia's parents were first cousins and had an enduring and loving marriage.

They just wanted what they thought was best for their daughter.

Samia put on a happy face around her family and appeared willing to give her upcoming

marriage her best shot.

Plans were made for her to travel to Pakistan for the wedding.

Though, when speaking with her friends, Samia was plagued with concerns.

She sought to live a happy life but couldn't see this happening with the Chaudhry Shaqil.

In the weeks leading up to her departure, Samia sent multiple messages to her friends expressing

her growing despair.

In one, she wrote,

Samia arrived in Pakistan in mid-February 2012.

Determined not to upset her family, she threw herself into the task of planning her wedding.

She bought her outfit and jewellery from the Pakistani bazaar and fine-tuned every detail

of the event.

Her father paid for everything she needed.

Samia wed Chaudhry Shaqil in a four-day ceremony in front of hundreds of guests.

As a wedding gift to his new son-in-law, Samia's father gave Shaqil the house next door to

the Shahid family home in Pandori.

After the wedding, Samia and Shaqil moved in.

Four months later in June, Samia returned to Bradford without her new husband.

Shaqil intended to migrate to the UK, so Samia assisted with his application for a spousal

visa.

Their marriage ceremony, known as a Nika under Islam, was in accordance with Pakistan's

Sharia law.

It therefore qualified as a legally recognised marriage under British law.

However, Samia's friends noted that she was a shell of her former self.

Although Shaqil was nearly 4,000 miles away, Samia felt like she was under his constant

surveillance.

He insisted that they video call and remain in contact every day.

Samia felt trapped and soon fell into depression.

Within a matter of weeks, she told her friends that she wanted to die.

With her husband's visa application still being processed, Samia returned to Pakistan

in December.

She continued living with Shaqil, but her feelings towards him didn't change.

Six months later, Samia flew back to England.

It wasn't long before her friends began to notice a positive change.

Samia seemed more like her former self.

She was once again talkative, sociable and cheerful.

She soon revealed her reason for this.

In October, Samia was out to dinner in London with a group of friends, when she met a man

named Syed Mugta Qasem, known as Ali.

Ali had only been visiting London for a short time.

He was also a dual British and Pakistani national, but he lived and worked in Dubai.

Ali and Samia remained in contact and formed a close platonic friendship, opening up about

all aspects of their lives, including Samia's unwanted marriage.

Ali and Samia's feelings for one another developed into a romance, and by 2014 they

were in love.

Around the same time, Samia's husband's UK visa application was rejected.

Consequently, Samia knew that her family would expect her to spend much more of her time

in Pakistan.

She didn't want this life for herself, hoping that Shaqeel would accept the futility of

their marriage, Samia asked him for a divorce.

He refused.

Samia turned to the protection of Islam.

Under Sharia law, a marriage is valid only if both parties give their free consent.

This must come without any physical, psychological, financial, or emotional pressure, otherwise

the marriage can be considered to be forced and declared void.

Samia visited at Bradford Mosque and spoke with the prayer leader, also referred to as

the Imam.

She revealed that she'd been pressured into marriage by her family.

The Imam attempted to contact Chaudhry Shaqeel for his side of the story, but he never responded.

As a result, Samia's marriage to Shaqeel was declared void.

Samia kept this news from her family and discreetly began planning a future with Ali.

A little over four months later, the pair wedded.

They presented themselves at the home of the Bradford-based Imam who voided Samia's previous

marriage.

Samia was happy, smiling, and singing throughout the ceremony.

Seventeen days later, the newlyweds completed the British legal formalities by signing the

marriage register.

Ali soon had to travel back to his home in Dubai for work.

Samia had to wait for her spouse or visa application to be approved before she could

join him.

In the meantime, she remained in Bradford with her family, whom she believed were unawares.

She was aware of what she had done.

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Just over a month after her marriage to Ali, Samia was walking through town one night when

a man approached.

He wielded a metal bar which he smashed across Samia's legs.

By the time Samia was taken to hospital, large red and purple bruises had formed across her

thighs.

She understood that the secret about her marriage to Ali was out.

The attack on her was an act of retribution.

At the same time, the Imam who officiated Samia and Ali's wedding was warned that there

would be consequences for his involvement.

The threats had arisen from the Shahids, Samia's own family.

Over the coming months, they ostracized Samia further, with her mother throwing out all

of her belongings.

The Shahid family also began threatening Ali, demanding he cut ties with Samia.

The police were informed and acted accordingly, but the animosity between Samia and her family

continued to grow.

She became more frightened for her safety.

In late May 2015, eight months after her wedding to Ali, Samia received her spousal visa.

She fled to Dubai the very next day.

Samia's happiness was evident in photos and updates she sent back to her friends in the

UK, yet the absence of her family weighed heavily on Samia.

She reached out to her family nearly every day, asking for forgiveness.

While Samia's mother and sister sometimes responded to her messages, her father ignored

her completely.

His silence hurt Samia profoundly.

When Ali tried to appeal to Muhammad Shahid, he just demanded that Ali end the marriage

to his daughter.

Ali refused.

Samia and Ali wanted to have children.

With this in mind, Samia returned to Bradford to extend the olive branch to her family.

Her mother collected her from the airport and brought her home to see her father and

sister.

Samia kissed her dad and begged him for forgiveness.

Everyone was in tears, and for a fleeting moment Samia hoped that she would be welcomed

back.

However, the Pakistani traditions of family reputation and respect were deeply upheld

by Muhammad Shahid and his extended family.

In their eyes, Samia had brought great shame on the family by marrying Ali.

Not only was he from outside the family, he wasn't even a member of the same faith.

Samia's family were Sunni Muslims, whereas Ali and his family were Shia Muslims.

A bitter and violent split dating back 14 centuries exist between the Sunnis and the

Shias over who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad as the leader of the Islamic faith.

In another perceived slight to her family, Samia had converted to the Shia Muslim faith

prior to marrying Ali.

Muhammad Shahid outright rejected his daughter.

In a voice message left for Ali, Samia said,

The parents that I cried for while I was away are mine no more.

My kids will never see them, never hear them.

I'm broken.

That's it.

My only pride is you, and you alone.

Samia returned to Dubai devastated.

Seven months later, in June 2016, 28-year-old Samia was informed that her ex-husband's

mother had passed away.

As well as being Samia's former mother-in-law, she was also her aunt.

The pair had been markedly close during Samia's time in Pakistan.

Samia desperately wanted to attend the funeral service in Pandori.

Her parents and sister would also be there, granting her the opportunity to see them for

the first time in almost a year.

However the trip was fraught with risk.

Threats and attacks made against Samia in the UK for her alleged blasphemy had been restrained

by prevailing Western customs and British law.

It was different in Pakistan.

When a person brings shame upon their family, millennia-old Pakistani tradition dictates

that honour can be restored by male family members murdering that person.

In a society where some value the dominance of men and the modesty and subservience of

women, the majority of honour-killing victims are girls and women who are killed by male

relatives.

In Pakistan, many actions can lead to family dishonour, including when a woman marries

against her family's wishes.

Although forbidden under Sharia law, the practice of karo-kari or honour-killing has continued

in Pakistan, especially in rural areas.

Samia knew that travelling to Pakistan would put her life in danger.

Her ex-husband, Chaudhry Shaquille, still lived there, and he and his family would no doubt

have strong feelings about Samia's perceived indiscretions.

After mulling it over with her husband Ali, Samia decided that it wasn't wise for her

to go to Pakistan.

Several days after her aunt's funeral, Samia received word from her mother and sister.

While they were in Pakistan, Samia's father had suffered complications in relation to

his diabetes.

His health had taken a turn for the worse, and they feared he didn't have much time

left.

Samia's family encouraged her to visit him.

Despite the painful rejection, Samia still loved her father.

Yet, she remained uncertain if Pakistan was safe for her.

She messaged a friend.

I want to go, but I have no assurances.

While Samia's husband and friends agreed that she would likely never forgive herself

if her father died without her by his side, they were adamant that she would be risking

everything by returning to Pakistan.

Samia made her decision.

Her sister booked her a plane ticket, and on Thursday, July 14, 2016, Samia boarded

her flight to Pakistan.

Before she left, she messaged a friend, asking her to, quote, pray I come back alive.

Samia's friend responded with one word, insha Allah, meaning, God willing.

During her first night in Pakistan, Samia stayed with a friend.

She left her passport and return ticket at their house for safekeeping.

She then made her way to Pandori.

Over the next few days, Samia sent several text messages to Ali, updating him on her

plans and sending her love.

She spent time with her mother, father and sister, as well as extended family.

On July 18, Samia visited her aunt's grave with her father.

Around noon on Wednesday, July 20, she went to the Pakistani bazaar to buy food for dinner.

She messaged Ali, flying out tomorrow, hope all goes well, insha Allah.

About 90 minutes after Samia sent this message, the phone rang at the Pandori police station.

On the line was Muhammad Shahid.

He was distressed and crying, and he informed the answering officer, my daughter has died,

my daughter has died.

Police were directed to go to the home of Chaudhry Shaqil, where they found Samia Shahid

lying motionless on her back at the foot of the stairs.

Her scarf was covering her face.

Police lifted it away gently, revealing that Samia's eyes were closed and froth had formed

around her mouth.

She was clearly deceased.

Her slip on shoes was scattered nearby and her handbag had been placed by her feet.

Chaudhry Shaqil was not at the scene and no one knew where he had gone.

Later that evening, Ali Kazim received a phone call from Shaqil, who informed Ali that Samia

had suffered a heart attack and died.

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Samia's friends in the UK started receiving mixed messages about her cause of death.

Some were told she died of a heart attack or a severe asthma attack, while others heard

she fell down the stairs.

Neither Samia's friends nor husband believed any of these explanations for a second.

Within 72 hours of his wife's death, Ali Kazim flew to Pakistan to investigate the matter

personally.

He was immediately confronted with a significant problem.

If her death isn't contentious, Sharia law requires burial to be swift.

Allegedly, there were no visible injuries or signs of violence on Samia's body.

Therefore, police did not view her death as suspicious.

Her body was hastily released to her family, and within hours of her death, Samia had been

buried in the village cemetery.

Ali informed officers at Pandori's local police station of the threats and attacks

levelled against his wife as a result of their marriage.

With these new insights, officers considered the possibility that Samia was the victim

of a Karakari, an honour-killing.

In the UK, Samia's friends worked diligently to raise awareness of Samia's death, which

they undoubtedly believed was a murder.

Use of the case reached the local Member of Parliament for Samia's constituency of

West Bradford, Naz Shah.

Like Samia, Naz Shah was a British citizen of Pakistani descent, and she immediately

recognised that Samia's death had all the attributes of an honour-killing.

She wasted no time writing to the Pakistani Prime Minister seeking a proper investigation

into Samia's death.

As a result, Naz Shah started receiving threats from the Shahid family in Bradford.

Two of Samia's relatives, a 32-year-old woman and a 37-year-old male, were arrested.

In Pakistan, Ali Qasem got his hands on a copy of Samia's autopsy report.

The contents shocked him, and he quickly arranged a press conference in order to announce the

truth of his findings.

A 19-centimetre-long reddish-brown bruise had been found around Samia's neck.

The cause of her death had been listed as asphyxia.

Photographs showing this bruise were leaked to the media.

Ali remained in Pakistan determined to find out what exactly had happened to his wife.

These efforts resulted in death threats, with Ali subsequently requiring 24-hour police

protection.

The rising political pressure resulted in a special task force being established to investigate

Samia Shahid's death.

In mid-August, weeks after she died, the task force tracked down Chaudhry Shaqil.

During interrogation, Shaqil revealed that the morning before Samia was due to depart

Pakistan, he rummaged through her belongings in search of her passport and flight ticket.

Unable to find them, he confronted Samia and tried to pressure her to remain in Pakistan

with him.

When she refused, Shaqil raped her.

Traces of seminal fluid inside Samia's body were found to match Shaqil.

After her ordeal, Samia tried to run out of the house, but Shaqil chased her down and

strangled her to death with her own scarf.

Shaqil was adamant that he had acted alone, but police weren't convinced.

When they arrived at Shaqil's home the day Samia was killed, they were met with Muhammad

Shahid.

He outright told police that his daughter had died of a heart attack and kept this story

up until Ali Qasem held his press conference revealing Samia's autopsy results.

Muhammad then revised his previous statements to say that Samia had suicided.

Muhammad had told police at the scene that Samia was married to and lived with Chaudhry

Shaqil.

He made no mention of Ali Qasem at the time, later claiming that he had never even heard

of Ali.

With his story failing to add up, Muhammad Shahid was taken into custody, believed to

have at least been an accessory to his daughter's murder.

According to a 43-page report prepared by the Special Investigation Task Force, Samia

Shahid was the victim of a premeditated and cold-blooded honour killing.

Her family had felt disrespected by her attempt to divorce Chaudhry Shaqil and were further

dishonoured when Samia instead married a man who wasn't a Sunni Muslim.

Shaqil was also angry that he could no longer immigrate to England as Samia's spouse.

The report highlighted the campaign of threats against Samia over the preceding years and

the trepidation that she must have felt in returning to Pakistan.

Investigators believed that Muhammad Shahid and Chaudhry Shaqil had always intended to

bring Samia back to Pakistan.

They likely intended to persuade or otherwise force her to resume her marriage to Shaqil.

When she refused and tried to escape Shaqil's home, Samia was likely confronted by her father.

It was believed he had held Samia's legs while Shaqil strangled her with her own scarf.

After the murder, Shaqil fled while Samia's father did everything he could to hide the

truth from first responders.

The task force believed that Muhammad Shahid knew that the post-mortem results would reveal

that his daughter had been strangled.

If those results were leaked, they believed that Muhammad Shahid had a backup plan to

lodge his own private prosecution against Shaqil for murder.

Deeply rooted in Islamic law and codified by Pakistani's penal code is the concept of

retributive justice, known as Qasas.

However, it is possible to circumvent such an eye-for-an-eye approach through a diet,

a payment in lieu of punishment.

Muhammad Shahid would have been able to renounce his right to have his daughter's killer sent

to prison or possibly executed if the killer instead paid him financial compensation.

This loophole is often utilized in honour killings.

Muhammad and Chaudhry Shaqil likely planned to use these, quote, blood money laws to pardon

Shaqil for killing Samia.

The task force report noted that the collusion between Shaqil and Muhammad Shahid was almost

the perfect plot.

Had it not been for Ali Qasim's immediate determination to uncover the truth, they would

have gotten away with murder.

Muhammad Shahid and Chaudhry Shaqil applied for bail at each preliminary hearing in the

district court.

They were denied each time.

After four months in jail, Muhammad appealed to the High Court of Lahore.

The judges determined that there wasn't enough evidence against him to justify his

continued custody.

The state prosecutor appealed to Pakistan's Supreme Court, however the court upheld the

ruling.

Muhammad Shahid was released.

The case against Chaudhry Shaqil was much stronger, but not watertight.

In Pakistan, confessions made outside of a court of law have no legal standing and cannot

be used as evidence against an accused.

This practice is designed to eliminate the risk of coerced confessions.

Shaqil remained in custody, albeit without formal charges being laid.

By the time the one-year anniversary of Samia Shahid's murder approached, no tangible progress

had been made towards a trial.

In response to the slow turning wheels of justice, Bradford West Member of Parliament

Naz Shah once again wrote to the Pakistani Prime Minister, urging him to pursue justice

for Samia.

Naz Shah received the appropriate assurances, but still nothing seemed to be done.

Six months later, in late January 2018, Muhammad Shahid was hospitalised.

He succumbed to kidney failure and passed away.

Neither Muhammad's wife, Imtiaz Bibi nor his daughter, Madiha, were at his side when

he died.

A warrant was out for their arrest in Pakistan.

The task force fronting the investigation into Samia Shahid's murder had reviewed the possibility

of others being involved.

They had come to believe that Samia's mother and sister played some ancillary role in Samia's

death.

But when they tried to bring them in for further questioning, they discovered that both women

had fled back to the UK.

In 2018, Samia's sister, Madiha, granted an exclusive interview with British tabloid

Asian Express.

In the interview, she expressed her family's ongoing belief that Samia's marriage to

Chaudhry Shaquille was legal and not forced.

Madiha said that she and her family were emotionally torn and couldn't understand Samia's sudden

death.

She referred to it as a tragic accident, while claiming the photographs showing the strangulation

mark around her sister's neck were fake.

Madiha proclaimed that she and her family were innocent and that their lives had been

ruined by, quote, a false narrative calling this an honour-killing from the outset.

MTA's Bibi and Madiha Shahid are still wanted for questioning by Pakistani authorities.

Investigators also found evidence implicating local police officer Mohamed Akhila Bass in

covering up the crime.

Abbas was one of the first officers on the scene after Samia's death.

It is alleged that he had accepted a bribe from Chaudhry Shaquille in order to let him

flee the crime scene.

Abbas had also concealed the presence of the large strangulation mark around Samia's

neck.

Additionally, he'd helped Samia's mother and sister leave Pakistan, despite specific

instructions from his superiors not to let them go.

Eleven weeks after Samia's murder, the Pakistan Parliament passed a bill to close the blood

money legal loophole with regard to honour killings.

The new bill amended the Pakistan Penal Code so that the family of an honour-killing victim

could no longer entirely forgive the perpetrator on receipt of financial compensation.

Instead, the perpetrator would face a mandatory life sentence.

In September 2018, after having spent two years in police custody without charge, Chaudhry

Shaquille was released on bail.

He was permitted to live freely within his community while awaiting trial.

A year later, Shaquille remarried.

Like Samia, his wife was British Pakistani, and Shaquille once again applied to immigrate

to the UK under a spousal visa.

Bradford West, Member of Parliament Naz Shah, again wrote to the Pakistan Prime Minister,

as well as the British Home and Foreign Secretaries.

She labelled the potential for Shaquille to be allowed entry into the UK as extremely

worrying and potentially dangerous.

Shaquille's application was unsuccessful.

Every year since, Naz Shah renewed her appeals to both British and Pakistani authorities

to encourage progress in the case against Shaquille.

Promises have been made, but no action has been taken.

In July 2022, six years after Samia's murder, Naz Shah posted online.

Sadly, after years of fighting for this case, I think there is little hope that the justice

system in Pakistan will ever give Samia the justice she deserves.

Machine-generated transcript that may contain inaccuracies.