A man wanted in connection with the murder of PC Sharon Beshenivsky has been arrested in Pakistan, nearly 15 years after her death.
Beshenivsky, 38, was fatally shot outside a travel agency in Bradford in November 2005 while responding to reports of a robbery.
Piran Ditta Khan, 71, was arrested in Pakistan on Tuesday and appeared in court in Islamabad on Wednesday, where matters relating to his extradition were discussed. He will remain in custody until he appears in court on 29 January.
West Yorkshire police had been trying to trace Khan for several years. In 2009, they offered a reward of £20,000 for information leading to Khan’s arrest.
DS Mark Swift said: “I would like to thank the National Crime Agency officers in Pakistan and partners who have made this arrest possible.
“This is a major development in this long-running investigation and their assistance in this matter cannot be overstated. 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.”
Beshenivsky had been an officer for nine months when she and her partner, PC Teresa Milburn, encountered the three armed men who had robbed Universal Travel of £5,405.
She was shot in the chest on her youngest daughter’s fourth birthday. Milburn was also shot in the attack but survived.
Three men have been given life sentences for Beshenivsky’s murder, while two others were jailed for manslaughter.
