Ex-husband and father of British woman who died in suspected honour killing appear on Pakistani rape and murder charges

The father and ex-husband of a British woman who died in a suspected honour killing have appeared in court charged with raping and murdering her.

Samia Shahid, from Bradford, was killed in July when she was visiting family in Pakistan where Mohammed Shahid and Mohammed Shakeel face charges at Jhelum court.

Police allege that Shahid stood guard while his daughter's ex-husband, Shakeel, raped her, before both men strangled Ms Shahid to death.

They deny murdering the 28-year-old, but Ms Shahid's second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam, claims she was killed by the family who disapproved of their marriage.

Pakistani police are attempting to extradite the victim's mother and sister, who are understood to be in Bradford, for questioning in connection with her murder.

Police brought both men before the court in Jhelum as they covered their faces. 

They avoided most questions from journalists. 

However, when pressed, the woman's father, Mohammad Shahid, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, told reporters that the accusations are 'all lies.'

'The police arrested me, police charged me, you go to police station and check my report, check my statement,' Shahid said.

The murder has shocked the nation as the latest alleged case of so-called 'honor killings' in Pakistan.

Initially Ms Shahid's death was recorded to have been from natural causes.

But Mr Kazim, publicly accused her family of killing her.

The case was reopened and a police probe quickly concluded that Shahid's death was a 'premeditated, cold-blooded murder,' according to a police statement.

During the court hearing, the second husband requested his wife's body be exhumed in order to carry out medical tests.

In the days following her death, Syed Mukhtar Kazim lodged a complaint with the police, claiming his wife was killed by her family

In the days following her death, Syed Mukhtar Kazim lodged a complaint with the police, claiming his father-in-law Shahid, mother-in-law Imtiaz Bibi, sister-in-law Madeeha Shahid, the first husband of his wife Shakeel and her cousin Chaudhry Mubeen murdered Ms Shahid before burying her in a graveyard and telling the authorities she died of a heart attack.

The prosecution has asked the Pakistani government and interior ministry to work with British police to extradite the women - understood to be in Bradford - for questioning. 

But a senior police official based at Jehlum who is part of investigation of Samia Shahid murder case said that police had not started process of asking relevant authorities to write UK authorities and Interpol to make her mother and sister part of the inquiry.