JournalismPakistan.com | Published July 19, 2016
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISLAMABAD - The Pakistani authorities have barred the family of murdered social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch from legally "forgiving" their son for strangling her, sources said, in a rare stand against the so-called practice of "honor killings".
Muhammad Waseem (pictured) drugged and strangled Baloch last Friday in a murder that has shocked the country, where the 26-year-old both titillated and outraged with her risqué social media photos and videos.
A police source said the government of Punjab, has made it impossible for the family to forgive the son who murdered her - a common legal loophole that sees many honor killings go unpunished. "It was done on the instructions of the government. But it happens rarely," said the Punjab police official.
A senior government official in Islamabad confirmed the order came from the Punjab government.
Waseem told media he had "no regrets" about killing his sister as she violated the family's honor by her social media pictures, including "selfie" photographs with prominent Muslim cleric Abdul Qavi. In a video post with Qavi, she appears to sit on his lap.
More than 500 people, almost all of them women, die in honor killings in Pakistan every year, usually at the hands of relatives acting over a perception shame has been brought on the family.
It was not immediately clear if the Punjab government's decision would lead to any meaningful reforms. An anti-honor killings bill that aims to close the family forgiveness loophole has been bogged down in parliament.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in February promised to speed up the passage of the proposed law but right groups say there has been no progress. "There is no honor in killing in the name of honor," Sharif said about Baloch's murder, according to his daughter Maryam.
Baloch's father Muhammad Azeem has filed a police complaint against Waseem and another one of his sons for their role in Baloch's murder.
Police on Monday also said they were widening their investigations to include Qavi, the Muslim cleric who was removed from a prominent Muslim committee after the selfie photos were published. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Baloch built a modelling career on the back of her social media fame and was the family breadwinner. Media often described her as Pakistan's Kim Kardashian and she called herself a modern-day feminist.
But her pictures and videos outraged religious conservatives who viewed her as a disgrace to the cultural values of Islam and Pakistan. She often received death threats. - Reuters
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.