Nazia Hassan did not die of poisoning or any other foul play, as her brother Zoheb Hassan alleged, a high-profile inquiry by Scotland Yard found that the accusations of poisoning were false.
Zoheb Hassan has sparked a new controversy by alleging that Nazia Hassan’s husband, Karachi industrialist Mirza Ishtiaq Baig, poisoned her and held her as a hostage, but the UK authorities’ records show that Nazia Hassan was poisoned and held as a hostage after a joint investigation by Scotland Yard detectives, a team of doctors, and the North London Coroner Mr. W Dolman.
Nazia Hassan died on August 13, 2000, but following a forensic examination conducted by Scotland Yard’s specialist squad, her corpse was released five months later, on January 9, 2001. The death certificate was issued on January 9, 2001, by local Brent Council Registrar S Palombo, after a comprehensive examination into the circumstances of death.
The investigative team determined that Nazia Hassan died of pulmonary thromboembolism, deep vein thrombosis, and carcinoma of the left lung. Nazia Hassan’s father Bashir Hassan and mother Munazza Hassan claimed that the singer and Ishtiaq Baig had already divorced at the time of her death, but the UK authorities wrote in the certificate that Nazia Hassan was a singer by profession and that she was “wife of Ishtiaq Baig of 57-Golders Green, London, NW11” at the time of her death. Nazia had poison in her body, according to Zoheb Hassan, since the chemotherapy was done via poisoning.
“The doctors couldn’t differentiate between the poisons and as a result, the report was inconclusive.” However, the records of the UK authorities contradict the claim of Zoheb Hassan and the original allegation.
Nazia Hassan died on August 13, 2000, at the age of 35, in the North London Hospice in Finchley, a care facility devoted to special needs patients, the elderly, and those who need constant care. The inquest was conducted on December 11, 2000, after Scotland Yard officers concluded their investigation into the accusations against Ishtiaq Baig and found no truth or substance to the allegations: choosing not to prosecute or charge British citizen Ishtiaq Baig.
According to Safdar Iqbal, an attorney in England and Wales, the death certificate issued after the Brent Council issued the necessary Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (MCCD) leaves no room for conjecture or supposition.
The lawyer said: “The death certificate is unequivocal. It evidently confirms that Nazia Hassan had died of natural causes, was not poisoned at any stage, was not detained illegally and her death had nothing to do with what is being alleged now by her family.
“If there was a foul play by Mr. Ishtiaq Baig, her husband, in any form then the Scotland Yard would have taken action and the coroner’s investigation would have pinned the blame if there was anything suspicious. The police would have then on the face of facts, arrested and charged the suspect for homicide and slavery resulting in a maximum of a life sentence if there was any truth to these allegations.”
Poisoning someone is criminal under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 or by law, and keeping someone against their will, which amounts to slavery, is also a severe offense, according to Safdar Iqbal.
Farhana Rathore, a family and immigration lawyer in Milton Keynes, said it’s possible Nazia Hassan made allegations against her husband Ishtiaq Baig in writing or orally, as it often happens in marriages or relationships, but the evidence shows the police didn’t take these allegations seriously due to a lack of evidence and took no action against Mr. Ishtiaq. Mr. Ishtiaq Baig and Nazia Hassan were still married when the singer died, according to the medical records, although their connection may have been dormant at the time.”
On Friday, a Scotland Yard spokesperson informed The News and Geo that Nazia Hassan’s death certificate indicated that she died of “natural causes.” According to the police spokesperson, “there would have been no police investigation following the inquest.” After the inquest, the spokesperson claimed there was “no record of the police involvement in this case,” implying that the file was closed by the police after the natural causes of death were determined.
The News understands that Scotland Yard carried out, after the singer’s death, a thorough investigation after Nazia Hassan’s family had submitted a statement recorded by Nazia eight days before her death.
The late singer said in a dramatic speech taped in front of her attorneys and witnesses that she believed she was being poisoned slowly. Doctors treating Nazia Hassan for cancer were also aware of the contents of Nazia’s lengthy declaration, which spanned many pages. In her statement, she also raised accusations of domestic abuse.
Nazia said she was given toxic chemicals from time to time, which progressively destroyed her body and internal organs. Nazia Hassan had told her attorneys that if she died, police should be called to conduct a thorough investigation. Her attorneys quickly informed the police of these instructions, and an inquiry was launched while her corpse was held in a North London morgue.
Nazia had been residing at both Nazia’s parents’ house in North London and Ishtiaq Baig’s Golders Green home prior to being moved to the care facility, so Scotland Yard officers seized possession of both homes for many days. To establish whether the poisoning was involved, the police conducted forensic testing at the locations. While the police conducted their investigation, Nazia’s family and husband were ordered to remain away from their homes until the forensic testing was completed. The accusations of poisoning and enslavement were determined to be unfounded after a police inquiry. On July 28, 1995, Nazia and Ishtiaq Baig married at the Wandsworth Registrar Office in the London Borough of Wandsworth.
