Couple killed in Pakistan in dispute over wedding

A couple from Birmingham have been murdered in Pakistan in a suspected honour killing. The man and woman had visited the country to resolve a dispute over a wedding.

The dispute is reported to have arisen after a planned marriage between the couple's daughter and a man in Pakistan fell through.

The man, whose name was confirmed as Gul Wazir, is understood to have worked as a taxi driver in Birmingham. He lived with his wife in the Alum Rock area of the city. The couple have already been buried.

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said: "The murder inquiry is being carried out by the authorities in Pakistan and we will support their investigation as and when required."

The MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, Khalid Mahmood, condemned the murders.

"I'm very disappointed and shocked by this act," he said. "Honour killing is absolutely absurd in this day and age."

Parents living in Britain need to make sure that their children are happy with any marriage arrangements they make, he warned.

"They need to take it very seriously, when they make these kind of arrangements, that their children are happy with that and that they have a proper dialogue with their family. If the child refuses the marriage it's seen as an insult," he added.