Pakistani model, actress and social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch, died last Saturday in an apparent case of honour killing. The 26-year-old was allegedly strangled by her brother Wasim, according to an Express Tribune report.
The police arrested Muhammad Waseem late on Saturday. He admitted that he killed his sister for posting bold pictures and videos on social media platforms. “She was bringing disrepute to our family’s honour and I could not tolerate it any further. I killed her around 11.30pm on Friday night when everyone else had gone to bed. My brother is not involved in the murder,” Waseem was quoted as saying.
Born Fauzia Azeem in the tribal area of Shah Sadar Din of District Dera Ghazi Khan in south Punjab, Baloch started her career as a bus hostess.
In Pakistan, a highly conservative nation, Baloch’s daring social media posts and television interviews on women empowerment, and her non-traditional clothes were always subjects of controversy. Known for her forthright manner and bold opinions, Baloch had drawn flak for appearing in a music video, Ban, directed by Aryan Khan. Her selfies with a Muslim Cleric Mufti Abdul Qawi had led to the latter being fired from his position by Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
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Reports indicate that Qandeel’s brothers had been urging her to quit social media, and that one such dispute between her and Wasim ended in her death. Three weeks ago, the model had written to several authorities requesting for personal security after her identification documents were made public online. However, there was no response from the authorities. “I am leaving abroad once Eid is over with my parents!”, she had said.
Recently, news of her personal life had dominated headlines – two men, both claiming to be ex husbands of the model had come forward in the media and made several allegations against the model.