Celebrity chef Parveen Ashraf has broken her silence about the death of her husband of 38 years, Qamar Ashraf, who was fatally shot in Ghana in November. The family alleges that what Ghanaian authorities have dismissed as a robbery gone wrong was a more complex incident, and they are seeking answers and greater accountability.
Parveen Ashraf, known for her ITV cooking show "Parveen's Indian Kitchen," revealed the devastating news on Instagram after a nearly ten-month hiatus. She stated that her husband, 68, died around six months prior. The family has now come forward to the Daily Mail to share their account of the events, expressing heartbreak and frustration over the handling of the case.
Qamar Ashraf, a former civil engineer in the UK, had moved to Ghana to work on infrastructure projects. His son, Imran, who had joined him in Ghana to work on projects, was with his father on the evening of November 7 when the incident occurred. They were at a local spot in Tema when two men on a motorbike, wearing balaclavas, approached their table.
According to Imran's testimony, the assailants demanded phones. While he complied and hid his phone, the gunman focused solely on Qamar Ashraf, taking only his phone. Imran described the robber as hesitant and noted that after taking the phone, the gunman backed away and fled with his accomplice. Following the apparent robbery, Qamar Ashraf pursued the fleeing motorbike, with Imran following his father.
Imran recounted hearing a single shot and finding his father on the ground with a chest wound. He attempted to provide aid, but his father died in his arms on the way to the hospital. The family is questioning the official narrative, pointing out inconsistencies such as the gunman taking only one phone and the nature of the shot.
"There have been huge mistakes in how my husband's murder was handled and reported and we want to set the record straight," Parveen Ashraf stated. The family claims that initial reports of British Embassy support were inaccurate and that the embassy did not provide sufficient assistance. They also expressed disappointment with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), feeling that it too readily accepted the Ghanaian authorities' conclusion of a robbery gone wrong.
The family highlights a perceived lack of thoroughness in the Ghanaian police investigation, including the mixing of witness testimonies and discrepancies in the number of perpetrators reported. A friend of the family, a detective, noted the difficulty of the shot reportedly fired.
Ghanaian police reportedly closed the case after stating that six gang members killed in a later shootout with police were the suspects. The family, while appreciative of the sensitive handling of Qamar Ashraf's death by the East London Coroner's Court, remains deeply unsatisfied with the international response.
"The Foreign Office and the embassy were absolutely useless. The British embassy in Ghana did nothing," stated daughter Sherine. The family acknowledges the challenges of conducting an on-the-ground investigation in Ghana but believes more could have been done by UK authorities.
Parveen Ashraf described her husband as an "amazing person, super intelligent, very hardworking, fantastic father and husband" and called his loss immense, particularly given the violent circumstances. She advised others to exercise caution and conduct thorough research before traveling to Ghana, stating, "Ghana took my husband's life."
A spokesperson for the FCDO confirmed they are supporting the family of a British national who died in Ghana and are in contact with local authorities.