Pakistan court frees killer of Qandeel Baloch

[Faqirze]

The brother of murdered social media star Qandeel Baloch has been freed by a Pakistan appeals court, three years after he was convicted of killing her for "bringing dishonor" to the family.

Baloch's murder in 2016 sparked a national outcry and promoted changes in the country's so-called 'honor killing' laws.

Waseem Baloch's lawyer, Sardar Mehmood, confirmed the acquittal with CNN Tuesday but did not provide further details. A court order has not yet been made public.

Waseem Baloch was arrested within days of the murder and confessed on video to killing his 25-year-old sister at her family home in the city of Multan in Pakistan's Punjab province. Despite his admission, he pleaded not guilty in court and in 2019 was sentenced to life imprisonment.


Pakistan's so-called 'honor killings' typically involve the murder of a woman by a relative who believes she has brought shame upon the family. At the time of Qandeel Baloch's murder, Pakistan law allowed a murder victim's family to pardon a convicted killer. Rights activists feared this law would be used to spare Waseem Baloch.





Three months after Qandeel Baloch's death, Pakistan lawmakers responded to the public outcry and passed legislation against the controversial practice -- a landmark ruling welcomed by rights activists and lawyers.


But Waseem Baloch's acquittal Monday has outraged women's rights activists in Pakistan.

"This man who confessed of killing Qandeel, his own sister, is a free man today in the same country where Qandeel couldn't live her life freely," wrote lawyer and activist Nighat Dad on Twitter Monday.

"This is the sorry state of not so sorry State...we are sorry Qandeel. Shocked and speechless," she said.
Sanam Maher, the author of "A Woman Like Her: The Short Life of Qandeel Baloch," also expressed her anger on Instagram.

"In a society that takes great pleasure in the punishment of women who break the rules, it should come as no surprise that each suspect in this case has been acquitted," Maher said.

"After today's verdict, we may ask, who killed her? Nobody, it seems. In accepting that answer, we are all complicit in the crime of failing to protect women."

Waseem Baloch confessed to killing his sister on a video aired at a media conference.

Qandeel Baloch gained both fame and notoriety in inherently conservative and patriarchal Pakistan for her bold, sassy and increasingly political social media posts.

In posts not dissimilar to the millions of posts and videos shared by 20-something social media celebrities across the Internet, she pouted into the camera, discussed hairstyles and shared cooing confessions about her celebrity crushes.

Qandeel referred to herself as a "modern day feminist" and had nearly 750,000 followers on Facebook.

But in Pakistan, her antics pushed the boundaries of what is considered acceptable.

In a confession video, Waseem Baloch said he was "proud" of killing his sister, adding that having his friends share her pictures and video clips was "too much" for him.

"I drugged her first, then I killed her," he said. "Girls are born to stay home and follow traditions. My sister never did that."

Court frees brother who confessed to killing social media star Qandeel Baloch | CNN

The brother of murdered social media star Qandeel Baloch has been freed by a Pakistan appeals court, three years after he was convicted of killing her for "bringing dishonor" to the family.

www.cnn.com

Yet another failure of the Pakistani justice system and establishment

 

[Mentee]

Pakistani court was approached by the victim's mother who also happens to be the convict's mother . She forgave her daughter's killer most probably out of parental love and to retain a crutch in her rainy days .

 

[Cash GK]

Sad very unfortunate

 

[Great Janjua]

Gairon pe kia shikwa ham ko to apno ne luta. He was pardoned by Qandeels mother his household forgave him.

Qandeel Baloch would be turning in her grave. It was an overwhelming case as are most honour killing litigations. nevertheless, they say rather have one in the hand than 2 in the bush.

 

[Aesterix]

Judges get paid stupid amounts of money in salary , facilities and Perks, and get oaid throughout their lives , even after retirement.
Such white elephants and burden on national treasury are good for nothing and this matter needs t9 be looked into.

 

[SQ8]

The law is Sharia based and was also applied to free Raymond Davis… among many many other heinous murderers.
If Pakistanis want it as a law then they have to accept it’s consequences

 

[-blitzkrieg-]

Any news on that illegal mosque that the judge wanted to bring down? Some settlement there as well?

 

[Flash_Ninja]

The law is Sharia based and was also applied to free Raymond Davis… among many many other heinous murderers.
If Pakistanis want it as a law then they have to accept it’s consequences

Such an idiotic law, parents can legally order their children killed and suffer zero consequences.

They should have conditions attached to it. Like you may forgive their killer but must serve their sentence instead, or if you accept blood money then it will be held by the state for however many years the victim would have lived based on life expectancy.

 

[Mentee]

Such an idiotic law, parents can legally order their children killed and suffer zero consequences.

They should have conditions attached to it. Like you may forgive their killer but must serve their sentence instead, or if you accept blood money then it will be held by the state for however many years the victim would have lived based on life expectancy.

Misuse of Sharia injunctions or any law to reach unjust conclusions impacts the Devine Law and in this case the state should intervene by pronouncing judgements under tazir/penal code.

Imo any honor killing under cultural pretext be taken as spreading mischief in the land ------ parents may be locked up for life or if its a sibling/relative, be executed .

The law is Sharia based and was also applied to free Raymond Davis… among many many other heinous murderers.
If Pakistanis want it as a law then they have to accept it’s consequences

 

[Goritoes]

Allah will do justice, whether his pardon was wrong or right but him killing her was wrong, and for that he will get punish.

 

[Flash_Ninja]

Misuse of Sharia injunctions or any law to reach unjust conclusions impacts the Devine Law and in this case the state should intervene by pronouncing judgements under tazir/penal code.

Imo any honor killing under cultural pretext be taken as spreading mischief in the land ------ parents may be locked up for life or if its a sibling/relative, be executed .

Then why doesnt the Federal Shariat Court actually do something about this then? What is that entire department there for when people are literally misusing Islamic law to commit horrific crimes.

 

[Mentee]

Then why doesnt the Federal Shariat Court actually do something about this then? What is that entire department there for when people are literally misusing Islamic law to commit horrific crimes.

It's for show and pomp and also points out the hypocrite nature of Pakistani nation . When it suits them they bring their claims to be be judged as per Quranic injunctions when not the queen is always there -----.