Baby behind bars: British mother jailed for life in Pakistan keeps newborn with her in prison

Khadija Shah, who was imprisoned due to drug-related charges, was heavily pregnant when arrested two years ago.

14:43 19 March 2014

A British woman has been sentenced to life imprisonment in Pakistan after she tried to smuggle heroin worth £3.2m out of the country.

Khadija Shah was heavily pregnant when she was arrested two years ago. The 26-year-old mom hid 63kg of the Class A drug in her luggage as she passed through Islamabad airport. However, she maintained her innocence saying that she was persuaded by a man to carry the suitcases without her knowing their contents.

Shah, who was with her two older children, Ibrahim,7 and Aleesha, 6, during the arrest gave birth to her daughter, Malaika in October 2012 and has kept the baby with her since.

Relatives are now concerned for the baby’s health as the prison where the Briton is held was the scene of the tuberculosis outbreak in 2012.

Speaking last year, she said: “If Malaika was not here, I would be crazy because things are very hard. She keeps me strong.”

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was aware of the sentence imposed on Shah and was providing consular assistance. An appeal against her sentence will be lodged in the Pakistan High Court next week.