Casefile True Crime - Case 262: Samia Shahid

Episode Date: October 7, 2023

*** Content warning: Domestic violence, sexual assault *** In Pakistani culture, arranged marriages are common.  So when the parents of Samia Shahid chose a husband for her, Samia agreed to the marriage. Despite being raised in England, Samia took her Pakistani heritage very seriously and would do anything to make her family proud.  But Samia’s arranged marriage to her first cousin, Choudhry Shakeel, was far from what she expected. Samia was determined to build a better life for herself, but at what cost? --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Holly Boyd Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn Sign up for Casefile Premium: Apple Premium Spotify Premium Patreon For all credits and sources, please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-262-samia-shahid

Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. This episode was originally released on case files Patreon, Apple Premium and Spotify Premium feeds as an early bonus for our paid subscribers. These episodes are designed to be slightly shorter, allowing us to cover a broader range of cases. are designed to be slightly shorter, allowing us to cover a broader range of cases. To receive these episodes early and dad-free, you can support CaseFile on your preferred platform.

Growing up in the English city of Bradford, Semya Shahid was a typical high-spirited girl. She enjoyed fashion and fast cars, was popular, funny and headstrong. Simea's family fully supported her endeavors, especially her father, Mahomed. There was no question that Simea was a daddy's girl. The Shahid family were well known around Bradford. Simea's parents ran a limousine and car service business. One of her uncles owned a fishing 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.

Simea and her younger sister Medih, 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 Simea reached her mid-twenties, 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. Samir 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. Sameer 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 Sameer's first cousin. Marriages between first cousins in the British Pakistani community weren't our common. Sameer's parents were first cousins and had an enduring and loving marriage. They just wanted what they thought was best for their daughter. Simea put on a happy face around her family and appeared willing to give her upcoming

marriage her best shot. Plants were made for her to travel to Pakistan for the wedding. Though, when speaking with her friends, Simea was plagued with concerns. She sought to live a happy life, but couldn't see this happening with the Chordry Shaquille. In the weeks leading up to her departure, Simea sent multiple messages to her friends expressing her growing despair. In one, she wrote, I'm dying, I swear. My life's a joke. Samia arrived in Pakistan in mid-February 2012.

Determined to not to upset her family, she threw herself into the task of planning her wedding. She bought her outfit and jewelry from the Pakistani Bazaar and fined you in every detail of the event. Her father paid for everything she needed. Sameer wed Chordry Shaqil in a four-day ceremony in front of hundreds of guests. As a wedding gift to his new son-in-law, Sameer's father gave Shaqil the house next door to the Shahid family home in Pandori. After the wedding, Samir and Shaqil moved in.

Four months later in June, Samir returned to Bradford without her new husband. Shaqil intended to migrate to the UK, so Samer assisted with his application for a spousal visa. Their marriage, ceremony known as a Nika Runder Islam, was in accordance with Pakistan's Sharia Law. It therefore qualified as a legally recognized marriage under British law. However, Sameer's friends noted that she was a shell of her former self. Although Shaqil was nearly 4,000 miles away, Semya felt like she was under his constant

surveillance. He insisted that they video call and remain in contact every day. Semya 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 to living with Shikil, but her feelings towards him didn't change. Six months later, Sama flew back to England.

It wasn't long before her friends began to notice a positive change. Simea seemed more like her former self. She was once again talkative, sociable and cheerful. She soon revealed her reason for this. In October, Simea was out to dinner in London with a group of friends, when she met a man named Sayed Mukta Khazm, known as Ali. Ali had only been visiting London for a short time. He was also a dual-Bredish and Pakistani national, but he lived and worked in Dubai.

Ali and Simea remained in contact and formed a close platonic friendship, opening up about all aspects of their lives, including Simea's unwanted marriage. Ali and Simea's feelings for one another developed into a romance, and by 2014 they were in love. Around the same time, Simea's husband's UK visa application was rejected. Consequently, Simea 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 Shaqil would accept the futility of their marriage, Simea aroused him for a divorce. He refused. Simea 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. Simea visited a 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 Shaqil for his side of the story, but he never responded. As a result, Simea's marriage to Shaqil was declared void. Simea 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 avoided Samir's previous marriage. Samir 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 spousal visa application

to be approved before she could join him. In the meantime, she remained in Bradford with her family, whom she believed were unaware of what she had done. Case file will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors. Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. Dads, by supporting our sponsors, you support CaseFile to continue to deliver quality content. Just over a month after her marriage to Arlee, Simea was walking through town one night when a man approached. He wielded a metal bar which he smashed across Simea's legs.

By the time Simea 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. The attack on her was an act of retribution. At the same time, the Imam who officiated Samir and Ali's wedding was warned that there would be consequences for his involvement. The threats had arisen from the Shahids, Samir's own family. Over the coming months, they ostracized Samimea further, with her mother throwing out all of her belongings.

The Shahid family also began threatening Ali, demanding he cut ties with Simea. The police were informed and acted accordingly, but the animosity between Simea and her family continued to grow. She became more frightened for her safety. In late May 2015, eight months after her wedding to Arle, 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 Simea. She reached out to her family nearly every day, asking for forgiveness. While Simea's mother and sister sometimes responded to her messages, her father ignored her completely. His silence hurt Simea profoundly. When Ali tried to appeal to Mahomet Shahid, he just demanded that Ali ended the marriage to his daughter. Ali refused. Samir and Ali wanted to have children.

With this in mind, Samir 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. Samir kissed her dad and begged him for forgiveness. Everyone was in tears, and for a fleeting moment, Simea 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, Simea 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. Simea's family was Sunni Muslims, whereas Ali and his family were Shia Muslims.

A bitter and violent split dating back 14th 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, Samir had converted to the Shia Muslim faith prior to marrying Ali. Mahometra hid outright rejected his daughter. In a voice message left for Ali, Simea 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. 10 months later, in June 2016, 28-year-old Simea was informed that her ex-husband's mother had passed away. As well as being Simea's former mother-in-law, she was also her aunt. The pair had been markedly close during Simea's time in Pakistan. Simea 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 a British law. It was different in Pakistan. When a person brings shame upon their family, millennia-rolled Pakistani tradition dictates that honor 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 oner-killing victims are girls and women who are killed by male relatives. In Pakistan, many actions can lead to family dishonor, including when a woman marries against her family's wishes. Although forbidden under Sharia law, the practice of Karokari or honor killing has continued in Pakistan, especially in rural areas. Samir knew that traveling to Pakistan would put her life in danger. Her ex-husband, Chaudhry Shaqil, still lived there, and he and his family would no doubt

have strong feelings about Samir's perceived indiscretions. After mulling it over with her husband Ali, Samir decided that it wasn't wise for her to go to Pakistan. Several days after her aunt's funeral, Simea received word from her mother and sister. While they were in Pakistan, Simea'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. Simea's family encouraged her to visit him. Despite the painful rejection, Simea 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 Semya'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.

Semya made her decision. risking everything by returning to Pakistan. Sameer made her decision. Her sister booked her a plane ticket, and on Thursday, July 14, 2016, Sameer boarded her flight to Pakistan. Before she left, she messaged a friend, asking her to, quote, pray I come back alive. Simea's friend responded with one word, in Shahra'la, meaning God willing. During her first night in Pakistan, Simea stayed with a friend.

She left her passport and returned ticket at their house for safekeeping. She then made her way to Pandori. Over the next few days, Simea 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, Semyya 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, her ball goes well, in Shah Al-Ala. About 90 minutes after Samir 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-Shakil, where they found Samir 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 some of his eyes were closed and Froth had formed around her mouth. She was clearly deceased. Her slip on shoes were scattered nearby and her handbag had been placed by her feet. Chordry Shakyel was not at the scene and no one knew where he had gone. Later that evening, Ali Kasm received a phone call from Shakyel, who informed Ali that Case file will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors.

Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support CaseFile to continue to deliver quality content. Samiya'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 Simea's friends nor husband believed any of these explanations for a second. Within 72 hours of his wife's death, Ali Kasm flew to Pakistan to investigate the matter personally. He was immediately confronted with a significant problem.

If a death isn't contentious, Sharia law requires burial to be swift. Allegedly, there were no visible injuries or signs of violence on Simea'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, Simea had been buried in the village cemetery. Ali informed officers at Pandori's local police station of the threats and attacks leveled against his wife as a result of their marriage. With these new insights, officers considered the possibility that Simea was the victim of

a caro-carry, an honour killing. In the UK, Simea's friends worked diligently to raise awareness of Simea's death, which they undoubtedly believed was a murder. News of the case reached the local member of parliament for Simea's constituency of West Bradford, Naz Shah. Like Simea, Naz Shah was a British citizen of Pakistani descent, and she immediately recognized that Simea's death had all the attributes of an honor killing. She wasted no time writing to the Pakistani Prime Minister seeking a proper investigation

into Simea's death. As a result, Naz Shah started receiving threats from the Shahid family in Bradford. Two of Simea's relatives, a 32-year-old woman and a 37-year-old male, were arrested. In Pakistan, Ali Kasm got his hands on a copy of Simea's autopsy report. The contents shocked him, and he quickly arranged a press conference in order to announce the truth of his findings. A 19cm long reddish brown bruise had been found around Semyar's neck. The cause of her death had been listed as a sfixio. Photographs showing this bruise were leaked to the media. Ali remained in Pakistan determined to find out what exactly had happened to his wife.

His 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 Simea Shahid's death. In mid-August, weeks after she died, the task force tracked down Chordry Shaqil. During interrogation, Shaqil revealed that the morning before Samir was due to the part Pakistan, he rummaged through her belongings in search of her passport and flight ticket. Unable to find them, he confronted Samir and tried to pressure her to remain in Pakistan with him.

When she refused, Shaqil raped her. Traces of seminal fluid inside Simea's body were found to match Shaqil. After her ordeal, Simea 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 that day Samir 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 Kasm held his press conference revealing Samir's autopsy results. Muhammad then revised his previous statements to say that Samir had suicide.

Muhammad had told police at the scene that Samir was married to and lived with Chaudhry Shaqil. He made no mention of Ali Kazim at the time, later claiming that he had never even heard of Ali. With his story failing to add up, Mahamad 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, Simea Shahid was the victim of a premeditated and cold blooded on a killing. Her family had felt disrespected by her attempt to divorce Chaudry Shaqil, and were further dishonored when Simea instead married a man who wasn't a Sunni Muslim. Shaqil was also angry that he could no longer immigrate to England as Simea's spouse.

The report highlighted the campaign of threats against Simea over the preceding years, and the trepidation that she must have felt in returning to Pakistan. Investigators believed that Muhammad Shahid and Chaudhary Shakyel had always intended to bring Samia back to Pakistan. They likely intended to persuade or otherwise force her to resume her marriage to Shakyel. 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 Shakyel Fenerda. a backup plan to lodge his own private prosecution against Shaqil for murder. Deeply rooted in Islamic law and codified by Pakistanis' penal code is the concept of retributive justice, known as Qasars. However, it is possible to circumvent such an eye for an eye approach through a deit, 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 honor 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 Q Cazam's immediate determination to uncover the truth, they would have gotten away with murder. Mahometra hid and Chordry Shakyal 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 Supreme Court. However, the court upheld the ruling. Muhammad Shahid was released. The case against the 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 Simea Shihid's murder approached, no tangible progress had been made towards a trial. In response to the slow-turning wheels of justice, Bradford West's member of parliament Naz Shah once again wrote to the Pakistani Prime Minister, urging him to pursue justice for Simea. Naz Shah received the appropriate assurances, but still nothing seemed to be

done. Six months later, in late January 2018, Muhammad Shahid was hospitalized. He succumbed to kidney failure and passed away. Neither Muhammad's wife, M.T.H.B.E his daughter, M.D.H. were at his side when he died. A warrant was out for their arrest in Pakistan. The task force fronting the investigation into Simea Shahid's murder had reviewed the possibility of others being involved. They had come to believe that Simea's mother and sister played some incillary role in Simea'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, Simea's sister, Madihha granted an exclusive interview with British tabloid, Asian Express. In the interview, she expressed her family's ongoing belief that Simea's marriage to Chaudhry Shaquille was legal and to not forced. Madiha said that she and her family were emotionally torn and couldn't understand Simea'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 BB and Madiha Shahid are still wanted for questioning by Pakistani authorities. Investigators also found evidence implicating local police officer Muhammad Akhil Abbas in covering up the crime.

Abbas was one of the first officers on the scene after Simea's death. It is alleged that he had accepted a bribe from Chaudhry Shakil in order to let him flee the crime scene. Abbas had also concealed the presence of the large strangulation mark around Simea's neck. Additionally, he'd helped Simea's mother and sister leave Pakistan, despite specific instructions from his superiors not to let them go. Eleven weeks after Simea's murder, the Pakistan Parliament passed a bill to close the blood

money legal loophole with regard to water killings. The new bill amended the Pakistan Penal Code so that the family of an oner-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 with our charge, Chaudhry-Shakil was released on bail. He was permitted to live freely within his community while awaiting trial. A year later, Shaqil remarried. Like Samia, his wife was British Pakistani, and Shaqil once again applied Shah again wrote to the Pakistan Prime Minister, as well as the British home and foreign secretaries.

She labelled the potential for Shaqil to be allowed entry into the UK as extremely worrying and potentially dangerous. Shaqil'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 Shaqial. Promises have been made, but no action has been taken. In July 2022, 60s after Simea's murder, Naz Shah posted online. Sadly, after years of fighting for this case, I think there is little hope that the Justice she deserves. you