Qandeel Baloch was drugged and strangled by her brother in Pakistan, in an honour killing, after pictures of her with a prominent Muslim cleric in a hotel room, were posted on social media. She was killed at her family home.
Her real name is Fauzia Azeem. She garnered a large social media following after a failed audition on Pakistan Idol. On Instagram, Facebook and Twitter she posted images of herself showing her cleavage, wearing red lipstick and lying on a bed. These images are highly controversial in Pakistan and she received posts from many haters intending to shame her.
Baloch was forced to marry an older man who was abusive when she was 17. She had a child with him who was taken away from her.
Baloch’s brother Waseem Azeem said that he killed her sister because she was bringing shame and embarrassment on the family. Baloch had asked the government to provide her with security, as a result of the death threats she was receiving, not knowing that the real threat was from her family.
Many honour killings go unpunished because a family member can choose to forgive the killer and then charges are dropped. However, her case will be taken as “a murder against the state” meaning that justice will be sought for the death of Baloch.
Thousands of people attended her funeral including rights campaigners. An estimated 1000 women are killed in honour killings in Pakistan each year.
