Pakistan-origin Italian woman's death caused by strangulation: Pakistan police

Pakistan authorities on Wednesday said that the Pakistan origin Italian woman who was allegedly murdered by her neighbour in an "honour" killing case was strangled to death. 

The case made headlines in Italy over claims of honor killing. Police in the eastern city of Gujrat launched an investigation into the death of the woman after allegations that she had been murdered by relatives spread online.

An autopsy performed on her exhumed body led to the discovery that she had been brutally assaulted.

“It has now been confirmed that she was strangled to death. And according to the report, her neck was also broken,” said Irfan Sulehri, a senior police officer.

Earlier, according to the victim’s family, 26-year-old was murdered in the neighbourhood of Mangowal in the city of Gujrat in Punjab on April 18 and had died of natural causes. 

The police have taken most of the suspects into custody but they are still looking for the prime suspect, who appears to be on the run. The victim's father, brother, and uncle were taken into custody for questioning after the investigation was launched.

News of her death was reported in a local Italian newspaper, Giornale di Brescia, and members of the Pakistani community in Brescia, Italy, had held a demonstration demanding to know the truth about her death.