A model court in Multan on Friday sentenced Qandeel Baloch’s brother Wasim Khan to life in prison for murdering his sister.
However, six including Mufti Abdul Qavi, Qandeel’s other two brothers Aslam Shaheen and Arif were acquitted in the case.
Notably, Judge Imran Shafi was presiding over the case, and he reserved the verdict yesterday once the defense and prosecution submitted their arguments on the murder case.
Qandeel Murder Case
The suspects booked for Qandeel’s murder include her brother, Muhammad Wasim, who is the principal accused, alongside her other brother, Aslam Shaheen. The other suspects include famous cleric Mufti Abdul Qavi, Abdul Basit, and Haq Nawaz, who were all present during the court proceedings.
The mother of Qandeel Baloch was also present in court during the proceedings. During the hearing, 35 witnesses were called forward to record their statements. The verdict on the case is likely to be released tomorrow.
Addressing the press outside the courtroom, Mufti Abdul Qavi, who has been accused by the parents of Qandeel Baloch for orchestrating the murder of their daughter, said that he was deliberately being maligned and embroiled in this case. He said that once the verdict of the court is announced, those who are innocent will be acquitted, while the suspects will be convicted.
However, Mufti Abdul Qavi said that his name was not added in the First Information Report (FIR) on Qandeel’s murder, and he was being trapped for a crime he is not associated with.
Qandeel Baloch was strangled to death by her brother, Mohammad Waseem in the name of “honor” in their house, back in 2016.
Notably, Waseem, in his confession much later, said that he was forced to kill Qandeel as she allegedly “maligned the honor of the Baloch name” with her bold videos and controversial statements, which were paraded on social media.
Moreover, Qandeel’s brother was also nominated as a suspect in the case. Earlier in August, Qandeel’s parents submitted an affidavit in court, stating that they had forgotten the killers of their daughter, and the case against their sons should be dismissed.
A trial court was convened to hear their plea for a case dismissal, however, the court rejected the request. The verdict on the Qandeel murder case is scheduled today, 27th September.
In brief, it has been three years since the brutal murder of social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch, and members of the civil society and human rights activists have been vocal in lamenting the delayed justice in one of the most shocking cases of honor killing to have gripped Pakistan.
Today marks the 3rd year of Qandeel Baloch’s cold blooded murder at the hands of her brother. 3 years on, justice in Qandeel’s honour killing case remains due. Govt & judiciary could have set a good precedent but sadly broken justice system hardly works for poor. #QandeelBaloch
— Nighat Dad (@nighatdad) July 14, 2019