BROTHER ADMITS TO ‘HONOUR’ KILLING OF MEDIA STAR

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CONDEMNED The brother of murdered Pakistani celebrity Qandeel Baloch said he is “not ashamed” of his actions as he confessed to strangling her for “family honour.” At a press conference held by police Sunday after his arrest, Wasim Azeem described his sister’s show business career as “intolerable,” and said he had killed Baloch for bringing shame on his family.

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BROTHER’S DEFENCE The brother said that even though Baloch was the main breadwinner for the family, he slipped her sedatives and then strangled her in her sleep. “Money matters, but family honour is more important,” said Azeem, 25.

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SISTER’S SCANDAL Baloch, 26, a model turned reality TV star, angered many in Pakistan with a series of risque photographs, videos and publicity stunts promoted on Facebook. She had recently courted controversy by posing during Ramadan in a series of selfies which included Mufti Abdul Qavi, a senior Muslim cleric. She also pledged to do a striptease for Pakistan’s cricket team if they beat India in the T20 World Cup.

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PUNISHMENT Pakistani law permits so-called “honour killings” to be treated as a private offence, allowing the culprit to be pardoned by the victim’s family. However, police said prosecutors would seek the “maximum punishment” for Azeem.

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RALLYING CRY The case again highlights the hundreds of women killed every year in Pakistan, often by family members, for violating conservative norms relating to love and marriage. National newspapers paid tribute to the “fearless” Baloch, calling for a new anti-honour killing bill.