Brother admits honour-killing
THE brother of Pakistani model Qandeel Baloch has confessed to strangling her to death for “family honour” because she posted “shameful” pictures on Facebook.
Ms Baloch, who had become a social-media celebrity, stirred controversy by posting pictures taken with a prominent Muslim cleric.
She was found dead at her family home in the central city of Multan on Saturday.
Police arrested her brother, Waseem Azeem.
He said people had taunted him over the photos and that he found the social embarrassment unbearable.
“I was determined either to kill myself or kill her,” Azeem said.
He said even though Ms Baloch was the main breadwinner for the family, he slipped her sedatives the night before and strangled her in her sleep.
“Money matters, but family honour is more important,” Azeem said.
Nearly 1,000 women are murdered in Pakistan each year for violating conservative norms on love and marriage.
Such “honour” killings are considered murder, but Islamic law in Pakistan allows a victim’s family to pardon the killer.
Ms Baloch had shot to fame through postings that would be considered tame by Western standards but were seen as scandalous in Pakistan.
She had 700,000 Facebook followers.