An Indian restaurant chef is being sought in Britain over his wife's fatal stabbing

Oliver Evans:

AN INDIAN restaurant chef is being hunted after his estranged wife was stabbed with an eight-inch knife possibly after a row over a failed reconciliation.

Student Nazia Ahmed, 23, was stabbed to death and her 20-year-old sister Shazia was left critically injured during an attack at their home in Shear Bank Road, Blackburn.

Zameer Ahmed, who works at his wife's family's restaurant, the Shahi Qila, also on Shear Bank Road, and who lives in the same street as the women's family, has been missing since the killing, at 1.30pm on Saturday.

Today it was revealed the 26-year-old murder suspect had moved to the UK from Pakistan after the couple's arranged marriage in 2002.

The couple split soon afterwards but police are investigating whether a failed reconciliation prompted the attack.

Officers found the weapon used in the attack a kitchen knife close to the scene and said the assailant would have been covered in blood following the savage assault.

Nazia's "totally devastated" family made an emotional plea for information.

Nazia's brother Waseem, who had left for a trip to Pakistan after a family party just before the attack, has flown home after being told of his sister's death by his grandparents when his plane landed in Gujurat.

The attack happened in the three-storey townhouse where Mrs Ahmed and members of her family lived.

Both sisters were taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary where the elder sister died of her injuries.

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