Pakistani social media star killed by brother after scandal

[rooster59]

Pakistani social media star killed by brother after scandal

MUNIR AHMED, Associated Press


ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch, who recently stirred controversy by posting pictures of herself with a prominent Muslim cleric, was strangled to death by her brother, police said Saturday.

Her parents told police one of her six brothers strangled her to death as she slept in the family's home in Multan, police spokeswoman Nabila Ghazanfar told The Associated Press.

Multan police chief Akram Azhar said police were searching for the brother, identified by the family as Waseem Azeem, who runs a local cellular phone shop.

"Apparently the lady died of suffocation but final opinion on her death would be possible only after report of chemical examination comes," said Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed, who was among the team that conducted Baloch's autopsy. "She might have been given some poisonous substance before being strangled."

Baloch, whose real name was Fauzia Azeem, shot to fame and notoriety with a series of social media postings that would be tame by Western standards but were deeply scandalous by conservative Pakistani societal norms. She cultivated an outrageous public persona, recently promising to perform a public striptease if the Pakistani cricket team won a major tournament.

Baloch built up a large social media fanbase, with 40,000 Twitter followers and more than 700,000 followers on her official Facebook page. Baloch danced in a racy (again by Pakistani standards) video for a popular rap song that immediately went viral. In postings and public comments, she presented herself as a symbol of female empowerment in a country where domestic violence is commonplace and hundreds of women are murdered by family members each year in so-called honor killings.

On Friday, the day she was killed, she posted a picture with the message, "No Matter how many times i will be pushed down under,,But I m Fighter I will Bounce back..

On July 14, she posted the following: "As a women we must stand up for ourselves..As a women we must stand up for each other...As a women we must stand up for justice. I believe I am a modern day feminist. I believe in equality. I need not to choose what type of women should be. I don't think there is any need to label ourselves just for sake of society. I am just a women with free thoughts free mindset and I LOVE THE WAY I AM. :)"

Most recently, Baloch became embroiled in public scandal when she posted selfies with Mufti Adbul Qavi, a prominent cleric, in a Karachi hotel room during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan. In one picture, she is wearing the cleric's trademark fur-lined hat.

Qavi maintained that he only met with her to discuss the teachings of Islam. But the government suspended Qavi and removed him from the official moon-sighting committee that determines when Ramadan starts and ends in accordance with the Islamic lunar calendar.

In the wake of that scandal, Baloch said she had received death threats and asked for Interior Ministry protection.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-07-17

[Chapelroad]

And people think Thailand is bad !

[canuckamuck]

Why can't all the western feminists move to Pakistan where they could actually do some good.

Sorry about the lady's death. It seems she was a rare bright light light among the darkness.

[taotoo]

Why can't all the western feminists move to Pakistan where they could actually do some good.

Sorry about the lady's death. It seems she was a rare bright light light among the darkness.

Much confliction in you there is

[canuckamuck]

No conflict. Feminism is needed some places and has overstayed its usefulness in others.

[Pimay1]

How a sane person murder their own sister and live with themselves is beyond me.

[MissAndry]

Very sad, This is one of her facebook posts.

Edited July 17, 2016 by MissAndry

[thaibeachlovers]

And HRC wants to bring even more of such as he to the States. Mekel has brought so many in already that her own citizens are rebelling and Italy keeps shuttling them into Europe. I guess we already lost; better start learning to recite the Koran if you want to live.

[amykat]

No conflict. Feminism is needed some places and has overstayed its usefulness in others.

So, you want to send Western women to Pakistan to get murdered, or you think that Western women are so powerful that a big group could just shape that country right up??

[mcfish]

Nothing good ever came out of Pakistan

[F430murci]

The little savage probably did this because she wouldn't f*** him.

[canuckamuck]

No conflict. Feminism is needed some places and has overstayed its usefulness in others.

So, you want to send Western women to Pakistan to get murdered, or you think that Western women are so powerful that a big group could just shape that country right up??

No sending, I want volunteers.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Coming soon to a European city near you....

she presented herself as a symbol of female empowerment in a country where domestic violence is commonplace and hundreds of women are murdered by family members each year in so-called honor killings.

Whatever happened to "Islam is a religion of peace"?

I guess all those doing the honor killings don't consider themselves to be real Muslims???

Edited July 17, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Khon Kaen Dave]

WOW!she is beautiful,what a bloody shame.but even if she wasnt,there is no excuse for what he did,but WOW! she is beautiful.

[N2it]

Would this be considered "road kill," in Afghanistan? Not like this is any real issue considering 84 dead in Paris for simply being there. Why s this news? I responded, but I hope I'm not reinforcing this as a real issue. Paki's kill each other daily, wives, sisters brothers fathers children, so is it simply because this particular death was of a particular lady who had decent good looks? More people died today because of bad medical practices than died from murder in Pakistan. Where's the outrage for bad medical practices? None right? Move on this roadkill isn't worth reading about. Gossip column stuff. PLM's verses BLM's no doubt? 555

[sanukjim]

And people think Thailand is bad !

Wake up EU with the refugees coming in to your countries this is the type of mentality you will be welcoming.

[brewsterbudgen]

And HRC wants to bring even more of such as he to the States. Mekel has brought so many in already that her own citizens are rebelling and Italy keeps shuttling them into Europe. I guess we already lost; better start learning to recite the Koran if you want to live.

There's hardly a stream of immigrants from Pakistan these days, so your point is not relevant.

[jaidam]

And HRC wants to bring even more of such as he to the States. Mekel has brought so many in already that her own citizens are rebelling and Italy keeps shuttling them into Europe. I guess we already lost; better start learning to recite the Koran if you want to live.

There's hardly a stream of immigrants from Pakistan these days, so your point is not relevant.

you might want to rethink that. Far far more "refugees" storming Europe are from Pakistan than genuine war zones. Mainly from Pakistan, Algeria, Somalia, Iran, Morrocco, and the very odd one or two from Syria although there is no info available as to whether those arriving from war zones were victims or beheaders.

[stevenl]

And HRC wants to bring even more of such as he to the States. Mekel has brought so many in already that her own citizens are rebelling and Italy keeps shuttling them into Europe. I guess we already lost; better start learning to recite the Koran if you want to live.

There's hardly a stream of immigrants from Pakistan these days, so your point is not relevant.

His post is not relevant whatsoever. Unless this happened in Germany?

[sirineou]

Very sad!

You can take the man out of the cave but you cant take the caveman out of the man.

Since I don't believe in heaven and Hell after death, I hope they make an earthly hell for the brother.

[Chicog]

Apparently if they call this an honour killing the family can't forgive him and he would face the death penalty. Forgive him? They probably would.

Edited July 17, 2016 by Chicog

[thaibeachlovers]

Apparently if they call this an honour killing the family can't forgive him and he would face the death penalty. Forgive him? They probably would.

FORGIVE HIM!!!!!!!!!

They probably made him do it after he drew the short straw.