Husband describes grief after 'loving, beautiful and brave' wife stoned to death in Pakistan

Farzana Parveen was killed by her family in a so called 'honour killing'. Credit: ITV News

The husband of a woman stoned to death by her family in Pakistan earlier this week has told ITV News he is close to suicide since her death but determined to seek justice.

In an exclusive interview with ITV News Mohammad Iqbal described the final moments of his wife, Farzana Parveen.

The pair had been engaged for years against the wishes of her family. 25-year-old Parveen was attacked along with her husband with sticks, bricks and a gun, Mr Iqbal said, because he refused to pay them one thousand rupees.

He says he has appealed to the High Court as he wants the abduction case against him, which Farzana had contested when she was alive, dropped and her family to be punished.

Describing his wife as "loving, caring, beautiful and brave", he said the attack caught them completely off guard whilst they were in court to contest the abduction claim.

Read: Couple contested 'abduction case' before her murder

Describing the furious fight the pair put up against their attackers, Mr Iqbal said his young wife died of a fatal blow to the head with a brick.

Mobile phone footage taken at the scene moments later shows one of the bricks used in the attack beside her bloodied, concealed head.

A warning that this report from Paul Davies contains distressing images.

Speaking to ITV News, Mr Iqbal said:

Police officials said Farzana's father surrendered after the incident and called it an "honour killing". Her brothers and former fiance were among the attackers outside the court, police said.

Mr Iqbal said the police did nothing when he tried to alert them, and accused his wife's family of killing his wife's sister in a similar way five years ago.

Mr Iqbal told ITV News this is not the first time his wife's family have killed one of their own in a so called 'honour killing'. Credit: APTN

So called "honour killings" claim the lives of an estimated 1,000 women in Pakistan every year, according to Pakistani rights group the Aurat Foundation, however other say this estimate is only fractional.

Mr Iqbal confirmed his wife was pregnant with their child when she was murdered.

He told ITV News: