Qandeel’s parents trying to save son, says police

LAHORE: Multan police registered a criminal case against parents of the slain social media celebrity, Qandeel Baloch, accusing them of trying to save one of their sons from murder charges.

The police registered the FIR under Section 213 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on complaint of Assistant Sub-Inspector Allah Bukhsh of Police Station Muzafarabad.

The accused, if charge proves against them, could face a seven-year jail term in addition to paying a fine.

Qandeel was killed on July 23 last year. Her father Muhammad Azeem blamed two of his sons, Muhammad Waseem and Muhammad Aslam Shaheen, of killing her in the name of honour. Waseem is in jail while Shaheen is on bail.

ASI Allah Bukhsh in his application alleged that on January 19, he was in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Saeed Raza in Multan where he was with Muhammad Azeem and his wife Anwar Bibi. He said Azeem is complainant in the FIR against his sons.

He said one of his sons, Muhammad Aslam Shaheen, gave a sealed envelope to his father and mother and said he fulfilled their demand and they should now give a statement in his favour in court.

He said that when the court orderly called, they appeared before the court. He said appearing before the court, Azeem and his wife submitted an affidavit, stating that their son, Aslam Shaheen, was not involved in Qandeel’s murder.

The accused are yet to be arrested.

Speaking with media persons, Qandeel’s parents denied the accusation. “We wrongly nominated Aslam Shaheen in Qandeel’s murder. We were enraged at that time,” Azeem and Bibi said.

Qandeel was strangled to death by her brothers for posting photos and videos on Facebook.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2017.