A beautiful and alluring Pakistani celebrity residing in thousands of hearts for her acting and modeling skills had created havoc on social sites by posting some sexually revealing photographs and unabashed comments.
Little did Fauzia Aseem better known as Qandeel Baloch know that there was someone who was stalking her every move with a slow raging fire of hatred developing in him, wondering how she could she be shameful enough to flaunt her sexuality across the world, belonging to a conservative Muslim country?
The man was also holding a fervid resentment against her for her uploading bold selfies with the Pakistani Cleric Mufti Qawi that had incriminated him in the eyes of the public and cost him his post.
Cold and planned murder by own brother
He planned her murder with some other men and on 16th July 2016, she was found dead in her residence in Multan, 350 km away from Lahore.
The man was none other than her own brother who mercilessly killed her on the fateful night of 15th July, 2016 after drugging her and then strangulating her to death. His vehement anger against her was visible on her face in the form of severe bruises in spite of her death due to strangulation. Though there are also statements that have been declaring that she was shot by her brother after being drugged.
Her brother Waseem Azeem, cousin Haq Nawaz, taxi driver Abdul Basit have already been indicted by the court in spite of their pleading not guilty with the fourth suspect Zafar Khosa still absconding.
The complainant Qandeel’s father Azeem Baloch had also declared her other brother Mohammad Aslam Shaheen as a suspect who was involved in her murder, based on which, the brother had been arrested under section 109.
Pakistan #SocialMedia Star Qandeel Baloch's Brother, Cousin Charged For Her Killing - News18 : https://t.co/VuOekqu2hJ
— Blogger (@BloggerAu) December 22, 2016
Qandeel's father backs out from his testimony
However during the hearing of the case on Wednesday Azeem retracted his statement against his son Aslam and refused to testify against him.
On Thursday the police registered a case against him under section 213 of Pakistan Penal Code after receiving orders from the Additional District and Sessions Judge Ahmad Raza to arrest him on grounds of withholding evidence.
Qandeel Baloch Murder Case Takes New Turn As Father Changes Statement #haha https://t.co/K0lOGc7iUM
— News Everyone (@News_Everyone1) January 26, 2017
It is indeed saddening that a law in Islamic Shariah states that the family of the victim of honor killing have the right to pardon or forgive the killers if they want which usually is taken to as the killers are from within the family only in most of the honor killing cases.
With such gruesome acts increasing substantially in Pakistan it is left to be seen whether women have a safe survival in the country in the near future or will they be kept punished under gender based violent attacks?