ISLAMABAD — A Pakistani court has charged the brother of a slain social media star with her murder, the final step before a trial begins in one of the country’s highest-profile “honor killings.”
Model Qandeel Baloch, who shot to fame for her provocative selfies, was strangled in July by her brother Muhammad Waseem. He said she had brought shame on the family and confessed to his crime in a press conference after his arrest.
The model was demeaned by her detractors. But fans praised her for daring to challenge social norms by appearing in videos that by Western standards would appear tame.
Waseem was produced before a court in the central city of Multan on Monday along with his cousin Haq Nawaz whom police deemed to be an accomplice, though the nature of his involvement was unclear.
A second indicted accomplice, taxi driver Abdul Basit, is on bail. “Judge Muhammad Saeed Raza indicted all the three men and adjourned the hearing until Dec. 8,” a government prosecutor said on condition of anonymity on Tuesday, because he is not authorized to speak to media.
He added the accused had pleaded not guilty.
“The court also asked police to submit a complete list of charges against all the accused on the next date of hearing,” the prosecutor added.
Waseem told a press conference in July he was not remorseful over what he did, calling his sister’s behavior “intolerable.”
Her murder reignited calls for action against so-called “honor killings,” in which a victim is killed by a close relative — who could subsequently be pardoned by another family member under Pakistan law. — AFP
