Qandeel Baloch’s brother jailed for life for her murder

MULTAN: The brother of social media star Qandeel Baloch was on Friday sentenced to life in prison for her murder, while five others were acquitted — among them Mufti Qavi.Baloch (real name Fauzia Azeem), 26, who shot to fame for her risque selfies — considered provocative in Pakistan — was strangled in July 2016. Her brother Muhammad Waseem was arrested. Days later he told a press conference that he had no remorse over what he did, saying that “of course” he had murdered his sister and that her behaviour had been “intolerable”.Multan’s Model Criminal Trial Court announced the verdict in the case. Additional District and Sessions Judge Imran Shafi presided over the hearing. The trial had concluded last Thursday and judgment was reserved by Judge Shafi for Friday.His lawyer, Sardar Mehboob, told AFP the court in Multan had found his client guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment, in a long-awaited verdict. “God willing, he will be acquitted by a high court,” he said.Five others were acquitted by the court, including Mufti Qavi who had been embroiled in controversy with Baloch months ahead of her death. Others acquitted were Qandeel Baloch’s brother Aslam Shaheen, her cousin Haq Nawaz, Abdul Basit and Zafar.Another co-accused Arif, Baloch’s brother, was declared a proclaimed offender and his trial would be held after his arrest.“We are distraught by this verdict. The government is still enslaved to the whites and is bowing to their rules,” said Baloch’s brother Aslam Shaheen. Earlier, Baloch’s mother Anwar Mai told AFP she had hoped her son Waseem would also be acquitted. “He is innocent. She was my daughter and he is my son,” she said.Baloch’s murder made international headlines and reignited calls for action against an epidemic of so-called “honour killings”, in which a victim — usually a woman — is murdered for flouting patriarchal social codes. Women have been burned, shot, stabbed and strangled for offences such as choosing their own husband or — in Baloch’s case — bringing “shame” on their family.The killings are usually carried out by a close relative. Under Pakistan’s Qisas (blood money) and Diyat (retribution) law, they can then seek forgiveness from a victim’s relatives. The roots of “honour” killings lie in tribal social norms which remain prevalent across South Asia and dictate the behaviour of women in particular.Sanam Maher — the author of the book “A Woman Like Her: The Short Life of Qandeel Baloch” — said the verdict sent a “powerful statement” but warned that it would take more than a court decision to reverse deep-seated prejudices. “I don’t think we can say that the court’s verdict is going to fix everything. It’s a band-aid on a bullet wound,” Maher told AFP.Three months after Baloch’s murder, parliament passed new legislation mandating life imprisonment for honour killings. However, whether a murder is defined as a crime of honour is left to the judge’s discretion, meaning that killers can theoretically claim a different motive and still be pardoned.In Baloch’s case, her parents initially insisted their son would be given no absolution. But, heartbroken at the thought of losing him too, they changed their minds and said they wanted him to be forgiven.

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