Celebrity chef Parveen Ashraf, known as "Parveen the Spice Queen," has publicly shared the devastating news of her husband Qamar Ashraf's death. Ashraf, 68, was shot and killed in Ghana on November 7, according to a statement from his family.
Parveen Ashraf, who had been largely absent from social media for about ten months, revealed in an Instagram video that her husband of 38 years had passed away. The family has since spoken out to the Daily Mail, detailing the events of that night and expressing their belief that the incident was more than a simple robbery as initially reported by Ghanaian authorities.
Qamar Ashraf, a civil engineer by profession, had moved to Ghana to work on infrastructure projects after a career in the UK. His son Imran, who was with him at the time of the shooting, recounted the events that began as a casual meeting. Imran stated that a motorbike carrying two men wearing balaclavas approached their table at a local spot in Tema. The men demanded phones, and according to Imran's testimony, only took Qamar Ashraf's phone before attempting to flee.
In what his son described as a surprising move, Qamar Ashraf then pursued the fleeing motorbike. Imran followed his father and reported hearing a single shot. He found his father on the ground with a chest wound. Amidst the ensuing chaos, Qamar Ashraf was taken to a hospital, where he died. "He was trying to speak but he couldn't, he was gargling, I looked at his chest and saw a very small hole. I panicked, someone shouted to me to apply pressure so I did, but blood came spewing out," Imran told the Daily Mail.
The family has raised concerns about the investigation, pointing to discrepancies in witness accounts and the apparent lack of CCTV footage. Imran noted that the perpetrators seemed hesitant and only took one phone, which he found unusual for a robbery. He also questioned why his father was shot in the chest, suggesting the shot might have been intended to be more severe than a deterrent.
Ghanaian police reportedly closed the case, identifying six gang members killed in a later shootout with police as the suspects. However, the Ashraf family feels that crucial details were overlooked and that the British Embassy's response was insufficient. "The Foreign Office and the embassy were absolutely useless. The British embassy in Ghana did nothing," stated Sherine, Qamar Ashraf's daughter.
Parveen Ashraf recounted the difficulty of retrieving her husband's body and arranging his burial in the UK, a process that involved significant delays. The family is seeking answers and clarity regarding the circumstances of Qamar Ashraf's death, emphasizing his character as a hardworking and devoted family man. "He was an amazing person, super intelligent, very hardworking, fantastic father and husband and for us it is a huge loss to come to terms especially with the way it happened," Parveen said.
A spokesperson for the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office stated, "We are supporting the family of a British national who died in Ghana and are in contact with the local authorities."