Pakistani girl killed to protect 'family honour'

london, May 22 (IANS) A 17-year-old Pakistani girl was murdered by her parents and her body dumped into a river after her westernised lifestyle brought shame on her strict Muslim family's honour, a British court has heard.

Shafilea Ahmed was murdered and her body dumped near Sedgwick, Cumbria, in September 2003. Her remains were discovered five months later, The Sun reported.

Her death remained a mystery for seven years, till October 2010, when her sister Alesha spoke to police.

The evidence given by Alesha - now 23 but 15 at the time of the murder - was "the final piece of the puzzle", the prosecutor told the Chester Crown Court.

Shafilea had clashed with her 52-year-old father Iftikhar and 49-year-old mother Farzana over her wish to have boyfriends and wear western clothes.

Her parents took her to Pakistan six months before her death in an attempt to force her into an arranged marriage. But during the trip, Shafilea drank bleach in protest and they had to bring her back to Britain for medical treatment.

The couple later killed their daughter at their home in Warrington, Cheshire, the court heard.

The couple deny murder charges.