LONDON: A man was arrested in Pakistan in connection with the murder of a British police constable, the West Yorkshire Police said in a statement on Wednesday.

Piran Ditta Khan, a 71-year-old man, allegedly led a gang robbery which resulted in the murder of PC Sharon Beshenivsky in 2005. He was arrested on Tuesday and matters of his extradition to the UK are under discussion.

He is set to appear in court on January 29.

Police Constable Beshenivsky was fatally shot when responding to the robbery at a travel agency named Universal Travel in Morley Street, Bradford, on November 18, 2005.

Detective Superintendent Mark Swift said: “I would like to thank the National Crime Agency officers in Pakistan and partners who have made this arrest possible. This is a major development in this long-running investigation and their assistance in this matter cannot be understated.”

“We are continuing to liaise with partners in Pakistan to process Khan’s extradition with the intention of returning him to the UK to face court proceedings,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2020