Irish parents suspect foul play in daughter’s death in Pakistan

• Two British MPs write to PM Imran Khan seeking help.
• Parents say their daughter travelled to Pakistan with partner, two kids.
• Woman buried without consent from parents.

LONDON: The parents of a woman who died in Pakistan ten days ago under what they believe were suspicious circumstances have appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to look into the case.

Chloe Devlin and Sean Devlin, the Irish parents of Kelsey Devlin, who live in Burnley near Manchester, told Geo News in an interview that they suspect their daughter may have died unnaturally and therefore a fully independent investigation should be carried out to establish the facts.

Kelsey travelled to Pakistan on June 3 and died on June 30. Her partner Syed Atif Abbas and her children Zara Devlin, 8, and Zain Abbas, 6 travelled with her.

According to Kelsey’s parents, they had travelled out to meet Atif’s mother, who was said to have been critically ill.

They said that they contacted the British High Commission (BHC) whose staff were denied access to Kelsey when she was in hospital.

When approached by Geo News, both the BHC and the UK's Foreign Office refused to comment on the case.

Atif refused to speak about the allegations levelled by his wife’s parents but did say that the BHC "was aware of what happened".

Parliamentarians Antony Higginbotham and Naz Shah have written to PM Imran Khan, seeking his government’s help.

Their letter says: “What is extremely concerning is that the family have now been told three different stories of how Kelsey died. They were first told she died of COVID, then a stroke followed by sepsis, now a heart attack. Having since received a copy of the death certificate these concerns are further heightened as it states 'epilepsy since childhood'. Kelsey has never had epilepsy and was a trophy winning avid footballer who was very fit and well.”

The letter goes on to state that the family "genuinely believe that there is the possibility that Kelsey was killed". Her relationship with her partner was described to be one of "coercion and control".

The British MPs have highlighted that Kelsey's case "has chilling similarities to that of the murder of Samia Shahid who was Naz Shah MP’s constituent and who was brutally raped and murdered in Pakistan in 2016".

Sean Devlin said Kelsey got admitted to hospital on June 9. Three days later Atif told her parents she was in a poor condition, requesting their prayers, and then sent a picture of Kelsey with a breathing mask on her face while in a hospital bed. On June 15, they were told Kelsey was put into an induced coma with Atif also sharing a video of Kelsey. Then, on June 30, Kelsey passed away.

Kelsey's father alleges that his daughter was buried without any consultation or consent from the family and that they were informed only after the burial.

He has requested PM Imran Khan to look into the matter and order an independent inquiry.

The MPs' letter further states on behalf of the family: “We also request an exhumation of the body for the purpose of a full autopsy and repatriation to the UK and the children to be returned to the UK to their grandparents."

"Should it be that Kelsey was in fact unwell and died due to illness as suggested, the family have a right to have transparency in the circumstances surrounding her death, and answers to the concerns they have raised so they can get some closure and grieve for their daughter/sister. This can only be achieved with your intervention and commitment to get to the bottom of how Kelsey died," it adds.