Atlanta -- A Pakistani man, apparently upset his daughter wanted out of her arranged marriage, strangled her with a bungee cord, according to arrest warrants revealed Monday afternoon in Clayton County Magistrate Court.

Chaudhry Rashid, 54, is charged with murder in the death of his daughter, Sandeela Kanwal, 25, at the family's Utah Drive home in Jonesboro. Rashid's wife, Gina Rashid, 49, called police just before 2 a.m. Sunday and told them she had been awakened and heard screaming in a language she could not understand. Gina Rashid, who is African-American, left the house out of fear and called police from nearby.

Rashid is being held without bond in the Clayton County Jail. His first court appearance was continued until Tuesday afternoon when Chief Magistrate Daphne Walker learned his primary language is Urdu. Walker said an interpreter will be brought in to help with the judicial proceedings.

Rashid is being represented by Tammi Long of the Begner and Begner Law Firm. Long declined to speak to reporters after the brief hearing. Several of Rashid's relatives attended the hearing but also declined to talk about the case. However, Walker allowed Long to give Rashid a handwritten note in Urdu "of comfort" from his relatives.

Gina Rashid did not attend the hearing. But she told police Sunday Kanwal wanted to end the arranged marriage and had not spoken to her father in two months because of their disagreement on the matter.

Kanwal lived at the couple's Utah Drive home when she was not with her husband, who resides in Chicago, Clayton police Officer Tim Owens said. She hadn't seen the husband in three months, he said.

Police said Chaudhry Rashid owns a pizza parlor in Clayton County, while his daughter worked at a Wal-Mart. Clayton property records show Kanwal owned the Utah Drive home with a relative, Hamayun Rashid.

When police arrived at the family's home Sunday morning, Rashid told them simply, "My daughter is dead," police said Monday. When police asked him how Rashid knew she was dead, Rashid reportedly said nothing and hung his head.

By Kath Jefcoats
www.ajc.com