LONDON: Britain’s new Home Secretary Sajid Javid has been asked to raise the issue of killings of two British nationals in Pakistan, Barrister Fahad Malik and Samia Shahid by Member of Britain’s Home Affairs Select Committee and Labour MP Naz Shah.
The MP, in a letter to Sajid Javid, reminded him of the promise made by Amber Rudd prior to her resignation in the last week of April.
Rudd pledged that she will take up the issue with the Pakistani government on behalf of Jawad Malik, the younger brother of the murdered barrister who is running a campaign to get justice.
In her letter, MP Shah has asked the home secretary to use his office to ensure that families of Fahad Malik and Samia Shahid “get justice and that the cases are heard as quickly and as openly as possible.”
The Labour MP wrote that Samia Shahid was raped and killed on 20th of July, 2016 in a so-called “honour killing”.
“On the 14th of August 2016 British national Barrister Fahad Malik was shot and killed outside a police station in Islamabad. Fahad’s shooting was most certainly a targeted killing. He was chased by cars along a road which they had blocked and his car was then shot at with automatic weapons. I believe he was shot 6 times and died at the scene. Again, nearly two years on from the murder and the family are still pursuing justice for Fahad Malik,” she said.
“Both of these cases involve British nationals who were murdered abroad in Pakistan. I am sure you can appreciate why these case have such significance and the delay in judicial proceedings in both these cases causes immense stress and anguish to those who were left behind and those who cared for them deeply.”
“Your predecessor Amber Rudd showed a great commitment and understanding especially with regards to the appalling rape and murder of Samia Shahid. I am writing to seek your commitment and support and ask whether you would be kind enough to engage your counterpart in Pakistan so that these cases are not forgotten or delayed further so that we can finally get justice,” she wrote.
MP Shah hoped that the Home Secretary Javid would take up the issue with his counterpart of current caretaker setup in Pakistan, Azam Khan.
