Samia Shahid committed suicide: Father of deceased contradicts earlier claims

GUJRAT - The father of Samia Shahid - a British-Pakistani woman who was allegedly killed for honor by family after contracting a second marriage against their wishes - has reportedly changed his statement about his daughter's death. Earlier, the father had claimed Samia died of cardiac arrest; however, he is now claiming that she committed suicide.

Samia's father's latest statement was recorded before a four-member investigation team constituted to probe the case, headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police Abubakar Khuda Bakhsh.

The investigators, on Saturday, visited the Mangla Police Station and also held a meeting with the officials of the local Police Lines.

Sources in the Police told Dawn that Chaudhry Shahid, a suspect in the case lodged by Syed Mukhtar Kazim, the second husband of Samia, had told the investigators that his daughter had committed suicide.

Police is keeping mum over developments in the case and even the spokesman for the Jhelum district police officer (DPO) has not made himself available for comments to the media.

The investigation into Samia's death was launched on the orders of the Punjab chief minister on Thursday. The team has been told to complete its inquiry within 72 hours.