Sunday, August 8, 2010

A couple from Birmingham, England have been murdered in Pakistan

The man has been named locally as Gul Wazir, a taxi driver from Alum Rock in east Birmingham. Lajbar Khan, of the Birmingham Pashtun Association, said the pair had been shot. He said they had been in Pakistan to settle an arranged marriage dispute. It is understood the couple's son was also hurt in the attack. It is understood that a dispute had arisen over the arranged marriage of Mr and Mrs Wazir's daughter to a man in Pakistan. Mr Wazir and his family had traveled to a village in north Pakistan called Salehana, which is sometimes referred to as Little Birmingham because of its strong ties with the Pakistani community in the West Midlands. The couple's bodies have already been buried. Khalid Mahmood, MP for Perry Barr in Birmingham, said he was "shocked" and "disappointed". He said: "Honor killing is absolutely absurd in this day and age." Parents living in Britain should ensure their children understand the seriousness of rejecting a potential suitor from abroad, he added. "If the child refuses the marriage it's seen as an insult. I think people need to realize that if they want to continue their ties with their relatives in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, they need to be aware of the extent, when their children aren't overly enthusiastic, that the family overseas will feel they're being slighted."

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