LONDON: A Pakistani national was jailed for life on Friday, after a jury found him guilty of murdering a Pakistani woman and dumping her body in a suitcase on the highway.

Muhammad Arslan, a 27-year-old student, was convicted last week of the murder of 21-year-old Hina Bashir after a three-week trial at the Old Bailey. In addition to the murder charge, Arslan was found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

The court heard that Arslan, described as “obsessed” with the victim, killed her by forcing a face mask into her mouth, leading to asphyxiation, in July of last year. He now faces life in prison, with a minimum of 20 years to be served.

During the trial, Arslan admitted to manslaughter but denied the charge of murder. However, a wea­lth of evidence presented by the prosecution connected him to the crime.

Prosecutor Gareth Patterson KC highlighted the compelling evidence against Arslan, including the victim’s blood found on his bed, as well as matching face masks discovered at his residence and the one used to silence Ms Bashir.

The prosecution argued that the defendant’s DNA was also found on the handle of the suitcase used to hide the body. Telephone evidence indicated that Arslan had taken possession of Ms Bashir’s phone and had jealously examined her messages to other men at the time of her disappearance.

Arslan claimed that his actions were unintentional, stating that he confronted Ms Bashir over explicit photos she had received from other men and that he attempted to silence her when she became angry. However, the prosecution dismissed Arslan’s explanation as an elaborate fabrication and asserted that he had killed her out of jealousy.

The court was informed that Arslan and Ms Bashir had grown up in the same village in Pakistan, and despite their five-year age difference, he had become close to her during their teenage years.

According to Mr Patter­son KC, the evidence poin­ted to Arslan’s obsession with the victim. In Novem­ber 2021, Ms Bashir arri­ved in the UK from Pakis­tan to pursue studies in business management. Arslan followed several months later, declaring his intentions to marry her. However, she was in a relationship with another student and did not reciprocate Arslan’s feelings.

Detective Chief Inspec­tor Dave Whellams, who led the investigation, said: “Arslan was obsessed with Hina to the point that he told people they were eng­aged and said they should have children together.”

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2023