LAHORE: The autopsy report of Syeda Sania Zehra from Multan has been released, which states that the ligature mark on her neck is consistent with hanging, and the cause of death is asphyxia due to hanging.

The report also stated that the hyoid bone was intact, and there were no visible signs of injury or violence. Samples from the stomach, liver, and spleen have been sent to the PFSA for further analysis. The report confirms that the woman was not pregnant at the time of her death.

On Saturday, police exhumed the body of Zehra, who was allegedly murdered by her husband in Multan after a court had ordered the exhumation and collection of post-mortem samples for a forensic report to investigate the alleged murder of religious leader Asad Shah’s daughter.

Syed Asad Abbas Shah, Sania’s father, claimed that her sudden death was not a suicide but an alleged murder. He stated that his daughter’s in-laws were disguising the alleged murder as a suicide, contrary to the crime scene.

Shah added that his daughter was pregnant and a mother of two young sons, aged three years and nine months, questioning how she could have taken her own life.

Violence Against Women Center Multan manager Munaza Butt said that she personally attended the exhumation and post-mortem of Sania Zehra. She assured that all legal requirements were fulfilled and they now await the forensic report.

Multan City Police Officer Sadiq Ali Dogar stated that the preliminary postmortem report suggests that the woman’s death was due to suicide by hanging.

The investigation also revealed that the woman had married at the age of 14 and had a history of suicidal tendencies in her family, with her brother having died by suicide six months prior.

The police are awaiting the forensic report from the PFSA laboratory to confirm the cause of death. The case was registered as a murder investigation after the woman’s father filed a complaint against his son-in-law and his family. The police are continuing to investigate the matter.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2024