British woman Mayra Zulfiqar shot dead in Pakistan ‘after refusing to marry man’

Police in Lahore, Pakistan, are on the hunt for two men in connection with the killing of Mayra Zulfiqar a British law graduate reported to be around 24 years old.

Zulfiqar was found dead in her rented flat after the two men had each reportedly pressured her to marry them. It is believed the chief suspects broke in early on Monday, May 3.

The law graduate, of Pakistani origin, had moved to Pakistan two months ago.

Punjab Police superintendent Sidra Khan, citing an initial post-mortem report, told English-language newspaper Dawn that Zulfiqar was discovered with bullet wounds in her neck and arm, and that she had bled to death.

Bruises were also found on her right hand and left foot.

Zulfiqar’s uncle, Lahore resident Mohammad Nazeer, discovered the body after receiving a phone call from her father in London saying she had been killed.

The police have opened a first information report (FIR) on the case following a complaint from Nazeer.

Nazeer said his niece had told him of a dispute with two male friends after she refused their marriage proposals, with the men threatening “dire consequences” for the refusal.

Sayyed Ali, an operations superintendent at Punjab Police, told Dawn that an unidentified caller alerted police to the murder, with forensic experts visiting and cordoning off the scene shortly after.

“We are also after two suspects and will share further details at a later stage,” Mr Sayyed said, adding Zulfiqar had been found lying in a pool of blood in her room with her mobile phone near her body.

“We have seized the mobile phone for forensic analysis.”

Zulfiqar had been briefly enrolled on a mentorship programme at law firm Duncan Blackett Law.

In a statement, Duncan Blackett Law said she was an “excellent mentee who demonstrated a keen interest in commercial law”.

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said in a statement: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in Pakistan and are urgently seeking more information from the local authorities. Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.”

Additional reporting by PA