SHAFILEA Ahmed's brother has branded claims his sister was murdered by their parents as 'a pack of lies'.

Junyd Ahmed told Chester Crown Court this afternoon, Wednesday, that accusations against Iftikhar and Farzana Ahmed were made up.

Sister Alesha has previously given evidence to say that Junyd was present when the 17-year-old was allegedly suffocated with a plastic bag.

When asked to respond to the claims by Peter Bayliss, defending, he said: "It's a whole pack of lies that she's told and I don't believe a word of what she's saying."

Alesha has also said that Junyd passed the plastic bag to his parents that was then used to kill Shafilea.

Today he claimed to have first heard the allegation on Twitter only weeks ago.

He denied doing so and said: 'I didn't pass anything'.

The 22-year-old taxi driver, of Liverpool Road, Great Sankey, also said that he thought mum Farzana was lying when she changed her defence statement last week.

"I think it's a lie what she's saying but that's her account to give," said the Manchester Metropolitan University graduate, who described the Ahmed household as a 'happy family' before Shafilea disappeared.

Junyd told the jury that 'nothing out of the ordinary' happened on September 11 2003, the night his sister was allegedly killed. Shafilea came home from work and got changed before doing schoolwork, the court heard.

He only knew she was missing at 7am the next morning.

But under cross examination from Mukhtar Hussain, defending Farzana, Junyd said he could not be sure what happened as he was in an upstairs bedroom but that he believed his mum and sister were lying.

Mr Hussain said that the aspiring accountant was 'reading from a script of lies' written by Iftikhar Ahmed. He denied the claim and said he was giving his own account of events.

Anthony Edis QC, prosecuting, asked Junyd if he was there when his sister was killed.

"No such thing occurred in front of me," he replied.

Mr Edis said: "You said she deserved it."

"I said no such thing," said Junyd.

"If you want to believe someone that would commit an armed robbery that's up to you."

Mr Edis countered that Mevish made the same accusation in letters to Shahin Munir and added: "So two of your sisters have made this up and it's not true?"

Junyd replied: "That's what I'm saying, yes."

He also said that he had never witnessed violence between his parents. Junyd added that since the trial opened he has had a window on his taxi smashed and abuse hurled him outside of the family home in Great Sankey.

Farzana Ahmed, aged 49, will take the stand tomorrow. She and Iftikhar, aged 52, deny murder.

THE uncle of Iftikhar Ahmed has told a court that Shafilea's parents turned down the offer of an arranged marriage in Pakistan.

When giving evidence via videolink from Karachi at Chester Crown Court today, Abdul Razzaq said the offer of his son as a husband during a phone call to the Ahmed family was not accepted.

Speaking through an interpreter the defence witness said: "I called because I had a son and I called him (Iftikhar) for a proposal for marriage for one of his daughters.

"I said give me one of your daughters' hands in marriage."

But Mr Razzaq claimed that the 52-year-old rejected the offer because his daughters were not old enough and were staying in education.

The court heard that Shafilea was not discussed specifically, but that as the eldest sibling would have been the first in line for marriage.

Under cross examination, Mr Razzaq said that if a marriage was arranged and cancelled it would bring shame on the family who did not see it through.

He also said that during the Ahmed's visit to Pakistan in February 2003, the children including Shafilea appeared 'happy' and 'elated'.

When giving evidence the witness often appeared agitated and covered his face with his hands leading on one occasion for Judge Roderick Edwards to ask him to remove them.

There also appeared to be other people in the room with him, but he at times denied this before admitting there were up to four people with him.

This afternoon Junaid Ahmed will give evidence for the defence.

The trial continues.