A BRADFORD woman facing the death penalty in Pakistan for allegedly ordering the murder of her husband has spoken of her relief after being released on bail.

Yasmin Kausar, 64, was detained after the charred remains of her husband of 23 years were found in a car at a rubbish dump in Rawalpindi in the Punjab region.

Mrs Kausar was held in April on suspicion of having Mohammad Farooq, 65, killed by a 23-year-old man who worked for his family and who police claim was hired by her.

Mrs Kausar, who lived in Bradford before marrying Mr Farooq and moving to Leeds, has always maintained her innocence and her family launched a petition calling for her to be freed.

Her lawyer later applied for bail which was refused by the sessions court in Rawalpindi.

But the Honourable Mr. Justice Muhammad Tariq Nadeem granted bail after an appeal was taken to the high court in Lahore.

In his order, the judge highlighted flaws in the prosecution argument against bail, including no direct evidence available that can connect Mrs Kausar to the crime she is accused of.

After being freed from prison last month, Mrs Kausar has been staying with relatives in Pakistan and her daughter Saima travelled from the UK to offer her support.

Speaking for the first time since her release from prison, Mrs Kausar said she hopes to be found not guilty of the charges in her trial which starts this week.

Mrs Kausar said: “I’m not good, I’m still upset, I’m upset about what’s happened to me, what they did to me and what they’re doing now. I’m devastated this has happened to me.

“I’ve not been able to grieve the loss of my husband. I can’t come to terms with the fact he’s gone, he was my soul mate for over 25 years. It’s hard, it’s very hard.

“Throughout this ordeal, my brother has passed away, so I’ve suffered two losses.”

Mrs Kausar, who is diabetic, was holed up in a prison cell with four other women in a wing that housed 32 prisoners, some of whom had children with them in the jail.

Of the conditions she faced in prison, Mrs Kausar added: “I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy. I didn’t have any rights.

“I wasn’t able to speak to my family in the UK, there was no system in place to speak to them.

“My medicine was kept by the prison officers and I had to ask for it from them. They would shut the toilets for hours at a time and just not let you go. They’d tell you wet yourself basically.

“I thought because I’m a British citizen that the UK Embassy would come and get me out, but they didn’t.

“It was very hot in the prison and it was very dirty. It was a terrible ordeal, I’m glad to be out. I’m mentally exhausted and shattered.

“I just hope now for justice and to be home with my family in the UK. I want to go home and be with my children.”

Police in Pakistan said at the time they believe Mr Farooq was strangled at his family's home before his body was put in a car which was torched at a rubbish dump around 27 miles away.

His charred boy was found at the dump at Morgah, near Islamabad, on April 1.

Mrs Kausar said she thought somebody was playing an April Fool’s prank on her when she received a phone call to tell her Mr Farooq had been killed.

And she said she was in bed when police burst into the house in Pakistan where she was staying at around 3.30am on April 4.

She added: “They were banging on the doors and a policeman and woman came to arrest me.

“I was in shock as to why they were arresting me. They didn’t let me change my clothes and they were pushing and shoving me into the police car and wouldn’t let me get my jewellery or medicine."

Mrs Kauser’s daughter Saima Bashir, who has had to return to the UK to continue her own cancer treatment, said she hoped her mum would get justice for herself and her late husband.

Saima, 38, said: “We just hope the judge is fair and can see the evidence for what it is.”