Pakistani human rights and social media activists reacted to the murder of Internet sensation Qandeel Baloch with shock and renewed calls for passing of laws that deal strictly with perpetrators of honor killings.
Baloch, a bold social media celebrity, was strangled to death by her own brother, becoming the latest victim in a spate of honor killings that have roiled progressive and moderate segments of the society.
Born as Fauzia Azeem in Central Pakistan town of Dera Ghazi Khan, Baloch was killed in wee hours of Saturday by Waseem Azeem apparently in an act of honor killing. But police are working on other possible motives like money related issues.
Qandeel Baloch shot to the glamour scene neither as a model nor an actress. She rose to heights of popularity by posting her suggestive videos and posts on her Facebook page, which attracted legions of followers. She recently gained much limelight by posting her selfie and videos with publicity-seeking cleric Mufti Abdul Qavi. The cleric lost his job as member of Ruet e Hilal Committee after the pictures went viral.
Oscar winner filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy tweeted:
#QandeelBaloch killed in an #honorkilling– how many women have to die before we pass the Anti Honor Killing Bill?
Author Kamila Shamsie wrote on her twitter account : If you look like this and talk like this it can get you killed. Another bleak day for Pakistan and its ‘honour.’
Nighat Dad, a women rights lawyer and founder of digitalrightsPK,
“We bury our sister Qandeel Baloch alongside thousands of our sisters who have been murdered to protect misogyny, patriarchy, male fragility.”
Activists also organized rally to condemn the murder in Lahore’s Liberty Chok with one banner proclaiming “No country for bold women.”
Courtesy Nighat Dad Twitter
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Some comments by conservatives like Mufti Qavi angered a lot of people suggesting that Baloch has been punished for her crime. Rights activists and progressive voices in the media strongly condemned Qavi’s remarks.
Recently Qandeel Baloch’s former husband appeared on a TV channel and told that he had fathered a son of Qandeel Baloch. Baloch confirmed that she had a son from this wedlock.
She had expressed her wish many times to marry cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan. Qandeel was also planning to be a part of Big Boss program of an Indian TV channel.
