Sharon Beshenivsky: Suspect in 2005 murder of police officer arrested in Pakistan

Piran Ditta Khan detained after spending 14 years at large

Sharon Beshenivsky was shot by armed robbers while responding to a robbery at a travel agents on 18 November 2005 (Getty)

A suspect in the 2005 murder of a police officer has been arrested in Pakistan.

PC Sharon Beshenivsky was killed in Bradford while responding to an armed robbery call, becoming the second female police officer to be fatally shot on duty in the UK, after Yvonne Fletcher.

Six people had been convicted for crimes in connection with the incident, but one, Piran Ditta Khan, remained at large.

The 71-year-old was arrested in Pakistan on Tuesday and has appeared in court in Islamabad.

Matters relating to his extradition were discussed in the hearing, West Yorkshire Police said. He has been remanded in custody to return to court on 29 January.

“The persistence to capture and bring to justice all those involved in the murder of PC Sharon Beshenivsky has to be applauded,” said West Yorkshire Police Federation chair, Brian Booth, adding his colleagues were “delighted ... and will now be watching closely the wheels of justice turning in this case – and how this plays out”.

The murder “sent a shockwave not only through West Yorkshire but throughout the world”, Mr Booth said. “We still mourn the loss of Sharon and I wish to pass on my thanks, on behalf of my West Yorkshire colleagues, to the National Crime Agency in Pakistan for making this arrest possible.”

Detective Superintendent Mark Swift added: “We are continuing to liaise with partners in Pakistan to process Khan’s extradition with the intention of returning him to the UK to face court proceedings.”

Mr Khan was a former doorman and allegedly masterminded the robbery. In 2009, authorities issued a £20,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

Three involved in the fatal robbery have since been convicted of murder, two for manslaughter, and one for robbery alone.

Beshenivsky had been a constable for just nine months. Her colleague, PC Teresa Milburn, was also seriously wounded in the attack.

“It breaks my heart to think that I will never hear her infectious laugh again, to think she won’t be here to see our children grow,” her husband, Paul, said after her death.

“The people who did this to Sharon and to Teresa and to our families are cowards.

“They took away my wife, but they also took away a wonderful mum, and the world is a darker place without her.”