Edinburgh Arthur's Seat murder: Comment by killer's father in TV documentary sparks outrage

The father of a murderer who pushed his new wife from the top of Arthur's Seat has sparked outrage after saying he was waiting for her engagement ring to be returned.

Kashif Anwar, 29, from Leeds, was jailed for life, with a minimum of 20 years, after he was convicted of killing 31-year-old lawyer Fawziyah Javed, who was pregnant with her first child, during a short break in Edinburgh in 2021.

The story of the murder is being told in a two-part documentary, The Push, screened on Channel last night and tonight. In the first part, Anwar's father claimed he had paid £6,300 for the engagement ring but it was still being held by the police.

Despite details of Anwar's abusive behaviour towards Fawziyah given in evidence during the trial, his father told the film-makers his son and Fawziyah were a "very, very happy couple".

He said: "They were both very happy and she was all right with Kashif. If she wasn't happy and she was ending the relationship, why did she come to Scotland?"

He continued: "When she fell, me and my wife cried a lot. She was our daughter, not their daughter - we believe when a girl comes to your family, she's your daughter. When Kashif got engaged she says 'Kashif, I want a diamond ring'. Do you know how much that cost me? £6,300. I haven't got it back yet from the police."

But his comments provoked an angry response on social media, with people aghast that he was moaning about being out of pocket for the engagement ring. One person posted: "Your disgusting son took 12k from Fawziyahs account. Take your 'torture ring' money from that."

Another tweeted: "I've been reading more info the case, and it turns out that Kashif's family refused to return Fawziyah's personal and sentimental belongings. Completely despicable. The worst kind of people, whilst they are busy waiting for the £6000 ring back." And there was this sarcastic comment from another Twitter user: "Suggest we have a whipround for Kashif's Dad because all he seems to be worried about is how much he spent on that ring."

The documentary follows the trial with footage of key evidence and as well as Anwar's father it interviews Fawziyah's family and friends and the lawyers for each side.

Many viewers commenting on social media praised Fawziyah's mother, Yasmin Javed, for her determination to secure justice for her daughter.

One commented: "The bravery of Fawziyah Javed mother on #thepush on channel 4 is astonishing." And another posted: "Unbelievable courage of Fawziyah's mother having to listen to these harrowing calls between her daughter and the person who took her life." The second part of The Push is on Channel 4 on Monday, March 4 at 9pm. Both parts are also available online.