Baloch politicians, activists come to Qandeel's defence following legal notice

ISLAMABAD: Qandeel Baloch chose surname due to affinity with Baloch people, argue supporters

Qandeel Baloch issued notice for ‘bringing shame’ to Baloch race, asked to drop surname

Activists, politicians and journalists in Balochistan have come to the defence of self-proclaimed model Qandeel Baloch after she was issued a legal notice for “bringing shame to the Baloch race”.

A Multan court summoned Qandeel after a petition demanded that Qandeel drop her surname and pay a fine of Rs50 million.



Senior Baloch journalist and editor of Roznama Intikhab Anwar Sajdi said that the making the issue about race was inappropriate. “The model has not insulted Baloch people. Using Baloch as her surname reflects her love and affection towards Baloch people.”

“There was a time when many Muslim actors in India and Pakistan used Hindu names instead of their original names. Such as Dilip Kumar, Santosh Kumar and many more, but Hindus never objected,” said Sajdi, who hails from Khuzdar.

Advocate Sajid Tareen, the vice-president of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M ), defended Qandeel, saying, “Constitutionally and legally, no one can force the model to remove ‘Baloch’ from her name.”

He was also of the view that her affinity for Baloch people might have made her use it as a surname. Tareen also gave the example of leading actors in India, whom, he said, use Khan as their surname, yet Pakhtuns never objected to it. He advised the aggrieved party to avoid such controversies.



Meanwhile, the National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) offered support for the model and advised her to tender an apology before the matter got out of hand.

Fazila Aliani, a senior member of NCHR who belongs to the Aliani Baloch tribe of Balochistan, called on Qandeel and the aggrieved party to settle the issue amicably. Aliani, who used to be an activist of the National Awami Party (NAP) in the early 1970s, advised the model to tender an apology to the people of Baloch.

"The aggrieved party should also exercise restraint and opt for a peaceful settlement of the issue as a gesture of good will," she told The Express Tribune.

Further, the NCHR member expressed concern over the model’s security, saying she may be harmed in the name of honour. “It is better to have an early settlement between the two parties to avoid an untoward incident.”



Qandeel, who became popular via social media, is often a subject of controversy. She recently released selfies and videos with Mufti Abdul Qawi and claimed he made numerous passes at her. Earlier, she had announced to do a strip dance from Shahid Adrifi if the cricket team won the WorldT20 tournament.