A SHOPKEEPER whose parents and sister were gunned down in a Pakistani graveyard has died less than a week after his 25th birthday.

Imran Yousaf, who owned Premier Late Shopper, in Shear Brow, Blackburn and lived in Howgill Close, Nelson, died in his sleep on Monday.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Last year he was diagnosed with the debilitating bowel condition colitis, although it is not known if this was related to his death.

He was buried at Walton Lane cemetery in Nelson yesterday afternoon (TUES) following an emotional service at the Ghousia Mosque, which saw around 2,000 mourners gather to pay their respects.

In a statement, his grieving family said: “We are devastated by this loss at such a young age. Imran was not well but he died in his sleep.

“This has rekindled the brutal murder of our parents and sister a couple of years ago, but we hope that due to our faith, we will come to terms with his death.”

Taxi driver Mohammed Yousaf, 51, his wife Pervaz, 49, and their 22-year-old daughter, Tania, were murdered in a suspected honour killing after visiting Pakistan for a wedding in 2010.

A gang of men machine-gunned Mr and Mrs Yousaf dead before ordering mum-of-two Tania, who had crawled to cover nearby suffering from injuries to her legs, to call her husband back home.

He later told how he heard the former Pendle Council worker beg for her life before the sound of machine gun fire, which left her body riddled with 100 AK-47 bullets.

Nobody has ever been brought to justice over the killings, which saw Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson highlighting the family’s ordeal in Parliament.

Nelson councillor Mohammed Iqbal, who joined mourners at the mosque and at the graveside yesterday, said: “Imran worked hard and he was trying to rebuild his life after what happened a few years ago.

“He had a bright future ahead of him. It’s such a tragic loss at an early age.”

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph in July to raise awareness of the condition and urge others to get treatment, Mr Yousaf said he developed severe stomach pains and had collapsed in agony before being taken to hospital.

Colitis affects around 146,000 people in the UK, and sufferers can develop small ulcers on the lining of their colon that can bleed and produce pus if left untreated. In certain circumstances, the most severe cases can lead to colonic perforation.

Mr Yousaf, who had also spent time working in security, told the Telegraph: “Before this I was a fit and healthy young man. I went to the gym everyday and I worked hard.

“When I started with the stomach pain, I just tried to ignore it, thinking that it would go away but eventually it just became too painful for me to stand.

“I was screaming in agony. Now, I haven’t worked in my shop for nearly 10 months.”

Dozens of emotional messages were posted to an online tribute page on Facebook, ‘RIP Imran Yousaf - Imy G’, which had almost 4,000 ‘likes’ within 24 hours.

Flowers and balloons were also placed outside Mr Yousaf’s shop.

Aisha Rahman wrote: “On Sunday night we were laughing and joking, insulting each other like we do. You’re always the first and last person I speak to. I’m really gonna miss waking up to your messages and seeing your face every night before bed.

“You’ve been my rock, my bestest friend I’ve ever had or will ever have. No-one will ever take your place.”

And Hamzah Mahmud said: “He looked out for me and always tried helping. He was a genuine gent. Whenever I used to visit him in hospital, he always used to laugh, even with all the pain he was going through.

“He was like an older brother to me. The best guy I ever met. Gone but never forgotten. RIP Imy Yousaf.”

Maryam Khaliq said: “This is so sad. He’s with his parents and Tania now. May Allah grant them all a place in Heaven.”

Mr Yousaf was survived by his brothers, Asad and Kamar, and sister Amara, who flew over from Pakistan to say her goodbyes yesterday, as well as extended family members.