Indian-origin woman killed by husband in Pak: Family

An Indian-origin woman hailing from the city was allegedly shot dead by her Pakistani husband in Karachi last month, her family members on Thursday claimed.

Shirley Ann Hodges, 39, who after conversion had become Shabanm Khan, was killed her husband Gul Mohammad Khan on December 4 in Karachi, her brother Noel Hodges alleged.

"We came to know about the incident only on Wednesday. Our entire family is shell-shocked," Hodges said. The Karachi police had registered a case against Gul Mohammad Khan at Shah Latif police station and he had been arrested, Hodges said, adding that he spoke to the investigating officer over phone late Wednesday night.

"She met Khan, who claimed he was Indian resident, in Ahmedabad, and they married in 1998. They had a daughter here in 1999," Hodges said.

Khan told her after the marriage that he was a Pakistani national. "He then took our sister and their daughter to Pakistan in 2000 on the pretext that he is taking them to meet her family, saying they will come back after six months."

But once there, Khan allegedly took away her passport and kept her under confinement. "He tortured her and she was never allowed to venture out of the house," Hodges added.

"When recently we came to know about the torture, we tried to bring her back. Through Pakistani activists, we petitioned the Pakistan Human Rights Commission too. When the enquiry was started in that country, he killed her," he said.

Shirley had two daughters from the marriage. One is 13-years-old, the other six. "We have decided to petition Pakistan government to hand over custody of daughters to us," Hodges said. "We have also decided to ask the Indian government to take up the case with Pakistan."