A top official in Pakistan resigned today after being charged in connection with the mysterious death of a married Canadian woman who was living in his home.

Shahid Jamil Qureshi, the minister of state for communications, has been charged with illegal confinement, but an ongoing investigation could result in murder charges.

Kafila Siddiqi, a Canadian woman of Pakistani origin, was pronounced dead on arrival at an Islamabad hospital over the weekend. The post-mortem report determined the cause of the death was dehydration, but bruises were reportedly found on her body.

The 40-year-old Siddiqi moved to Pakistan two years ago to work at a consulting firm in which she and Qureshi were partners. Her husband, Suleman Qaiser, and five-year-old son remained in Ottawa.

According to a police report filed by Siddiqi's brother, the family had been trying desperately to reach her for the past four to five months. He told the police they had no contact with her despite making hundreds of phone calls. Her husband had alerted Interpol.

Her brother eventually traveled to Islamabad from the family's hometown of Karachi in an attempt to see his sister, according to the police report.

The brother told police there was a police guard stationed at the minister's home who denied him entrance and said the sister did not live at the home.

Last week, the husband called Qureshi directly, according to the police report. Qureshi allegedly told the husband that Siddiqi had gone to Dubai and promised to inform the husband if she returned.

The following week, Qureshi himself drove Siddiqi to the hospital reportedly claiming he found her vomiting in her room. It is unclear whether Qureshi died at the minister's home or on the way to the hospital.

Siddiqi's brother told police that while at the hospital, Qureshi had urged Siddiqi's family to quietly take her body home to Karachi.

Qureshi resigned at a press conference in Islamabad today where he told reporters he is innocent.

"Only time will show that I have been falsely implicated in this case," he said.

Meanwhile, Siddiqi's husband and son traveled from Canada to Pakistan over the weekend. She was buried in Karachi.

The Canadian Embassy has requested a complete copy of the investigation report be sent to them.

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