State reviewing ‘legal options’ in Qandeel murder case

Parliamentary Secretary for Law Maleeka Bokhari on Saturday said the State was “reviewing legal options” in the light of law and apex court judgments in the murder case of social media model Qandeel Baloch.

Qandeel’s brother, who was the prime suspect in her murder case, was acquitted by the Lahore High Court on Monday, abolishing the life imprisonment awarded to him by a sessions court.

Taking to Twitter, Maleeka maintained that the honour killings of women and girls were a “black mark on our society”.

“Law was amended to ensure [that a] murderer of women, whether a 'celebrity' or ordinary woman, does not walk free,” she added.

The LHC’s Multan bench cancelled life imprisonment of the accused after witnesses deviated from their statements in the trial court and Qandeel’s mother submitted a reconciliation agreement stipulating parental pardon.

The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) also announced that it would appeal the verdict before the Supreme Court.

Muhammad Waseem was accused of strangulating his sister in the name of honour. He was arrested in July 2016 and awarded life imprisonment on September 27, 2019, by a court in Multan.
Before her murder, Qandeel garnered fame on social media through her posts and videos, which were deemed immoral by some.

Qandeel had posted Facebook posts in which she spoke of trying to change "the typical orthodox mindset" of people in the country.

She overcame frequent misogynist abuse and death threats to build a modelling career on the back of her social media fame.

Her selfies with Mufti Abdul Qavi went viral on social media, after which the cleric’s membership of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee and the National Ulema Mushaikh Council was suspended.

Her killing sent shockwaves across the country and triggered an outpouring of grief on social media, spurring the government to tighten laws dealing with men who would kill a close relative in the name of family honour.

Read Qandeel Baloch: Should we even expect justice for women in Pakistan?

During the LHC proceedings, defending lawyer Sardar Mehboob had argued before Justice Sohail Nasir that the father of model and complainant had passed away, adding that the witnesses had also deviated from their statements in the trial court.

He had added that the sessions court had ignored the settlement reached between the parties. After hearing the arguments, the court had acquitted Waseem by cancelling his life imprisonment.

Waseem had filed an appeal in the court to dispose of the case. Five accused including Mufti Qavi and two brothers of the model have been acquitted in the case so far.

Qandeel’s parents initially insisted their son would be given no absolution. But they later changed their minds and said they wanted him to be forgiven. "Waseem may now walk free while Qandeel was condemned for stepping outside the bounds of what is deemed “acceptable” behaviour for women in Pakistan”, biographer Sanam Maher told AFP.

“After today's verdict, we may ask, who killed her?" she added.

(With input from agencies)