An uncle accused of murdering his year-old niece in an honour killing in Italy after she refused an arranged marriage in Pakistan has been arrested in Paris. Danish Hasnain was tracked down by social media to a house in the Garges les Gonesse area not far from the Saint Denis stadium which was raided by French police at the request of the Italian carabinieri on Monday. The year-old, who was staying with Pakistani compatriots, had no identity papers but was easily recognised by the distinctive mole on his brow.
He is allegedly the mastermind in the murder of Saman Abbas who went missing at the end of April after telling her family she had a boyfriend in Italy and wanted to live a 'Western' lifestyle. Italian police say that Hasnain carried out the killing in a conspiracy involving Saman's father Shabbar, 46, mother Nazia Shaheen, 47, as well as her cousins Nomanulhaq Nomanulahq and Ijaz Ikram, 33 and Her body has still not been found but is believed to have been buried in a field not far from the family home in the town of Novellara, in the northern province of Reggio Emilia.
Italian prosecutor Emilia Isabella Chiesi told a press conference: 'From the investigations we made, I believe that he was certainly the mastermind of this crazy criminal project. Danish Hasnain pictured was tracked down by social media to a house in the Garges les Gonesse area not far from the Saint Denis stadium which was raided by French police at the request of the Italian carabinieri on Monday.
Saman Abbas, 18, went missing at the end of April after telling her family she had a boyfriend in Italy and wanted to live a 'Western' lifestyle.
Saman's cousin Ijaz was arrested in France in June on suspicion of murder and extradited back to Italy. Her parents Shabbar and Nazia are in Pakistan and have denied murder of their daughter. Prosecutors say the case dates back to autumn last year, when the family tried to force Saman into an arranged marriage in her native Pakistan. Saman fled the family home after an argument and since October had been living in a refuge run by social services, fearing for her safety.
