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'We're living in opposite world': Celebrities, netizens outraged after Qandeel Baloch's brother acquitted

'We're living in opposite world': Celebrities, netizens outraged after Qandeel Baloch's brother acquitted

The social media star's brother served six years in prison for 'honour' killing before being acquitted by the Lahore High Court.
Updated 15 Feb, 2022

Pakistani netizens and celebrities are outraged after news broke of the man who confessed to Qandeel Baloch's murder being set free. Muhammad Waseem said he murdered his sister in the name of 'honour' in 2016, and after serving six years in prison was acquitted by the Lahore High Court on Feb 14. This, compounded with other instances of violence against women in which the perpetrators have still not been convicted, has caused netizens and celebrities such as Meesha Shafi and Osman Khalid Butt to voice their anger online.

Before her death in 2016, Baloch, 26, became famous for her online posts. Waseem was arrested and later sentenced to life in prison by a trial court for strangling her, brazenly telling the press he had no remorse for the slaying because her behaviour was “intolerable”.

Under a recent law change, perpetrators are no longer able to seek forgiveness from the victim's family — sometimes their own family — and to have their sentences commuted. However, Waseem's sentence was pronounced before the change. His lawyer said that the trial court had "wrongly exercised its power" and sentenced Waseem under the Pakistan Penal Code's Section 311, dealing with fasad-fil-arz (mischief on earth), even though he had been pardoned by the deceased's heirs.

News of his acquittal spread online, sending netizens into a rage.

Actor Butt wrote in a tweet, "He is on record admitting to drugging and murdering his sister. Someone please make this make sense to me."

Singer Shafi said, "we’re living in opposite world" to have a murderer roam free among us.

Lawyer and digital rights activist Nighat Dad posted Waseem's confession video and said, "This man who confessed of killing Qandeel, his own sister, is a free man today in the same country where Qandeel couldn’t live her life freely & was honour killed for the choices she made as a free citizen of this country."

Academic Nida Kirmani addressed the amendment that disallows a family's forgiveness to let a perpetrator go free and asked, "How on earth was #QandeelBaloch’s brother acquitted?!"

Model Zara Peerzada reshared Dad's post and criticised the "state machinery" for not working in favour of women.

One user warned other women against reading the news, saying "The kind forgiving treatment being given murderers of Noor Mukkaddam and Qandeel Baloch is alone to depress you."

Users drew depressing parallels between the cases.

This user vowed to march for Qandeel and Noor at this year's Aurat March.

This news, coupled with hundreds of reports of violence against women and the perpetrators being able to walk away free of any consequences, adds to the feeling of helplessness experienced by many women in Pakistan. As people on Twitter pointed out, a public confession of murder did not ensure that Qandeel Baloch's brother was punished fairly, which begs the question of what it does take for women to get justice in this country.

Comments

Ibrahim S Feb 15, 2022 04:15pm
The nation should give the highest award of stupidity to PM IK
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Sane Mind1st Feb 15, 2022 04:28pm
Much ado about nothing. In Pakistan. No crime this is in Pakistan.
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Brigette Feb 15, 2022 04:34pm
that was perfect Scam
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Armagan Feb 15, 2022 04:40pm
This is a glaring example of the failure of the justice system, the national assembly and those who work in the justice system need to take responsibility for this failure and find a solution to ensure this kind of thing never happens again.
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Rajeshkumar Patel Feb 15, 2022 04:45pm
Whole Pakistan is living in opposite world.
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Shaukat Imran Feb 15, 2022 04:55pm
......acquitted by the Lahore High Court? Should we be even surprised? Who in the past has been setting free all the powerful & rich politicians? When will fairness, equity and rule of law actually come to Pakistan?
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Ibrahim S Feb 15, 2022 05:20pm
Which direction are we heading , does anyone know .
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Imran Feb 15, 2022 05:33pm
How does this make women in Pakistan feel? how does this make any human feel? on the face of it we call this our Islamic Republic but in practice nothing could be further from the truth.
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Asim Khan Feb 15, 2022 06:04pm
Once I read Lahore High Court .... knew he will be set free ..... he is not first one. These judges are making fun of judicial system in Pakistan
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arslan khan Feb 15, 2022 06:13pm
People blaming Imran Khan do you not understand that the Judges give verdicts in court not PM house.
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Ilovehelen Feb 15, 2022 07:13pm
If only these same women support the many Qandeel Baloachs who are alive and struggling because the industry needs to give needless roles to Ali zafers bro or Busra Ansaris niece. But we will wait till there suffering ends so we can tweet to feed our feminism ego from inside.
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Alam Feb 15, 2022 07:43pm
What a shame !
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Philosopher (From Japan) Feb 15, 2022 07:48pm
Once Again So called Honor wins while justice loses.
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Truth be told Feb 15, 2022 08:04pm
@Ibrahim S that they did when they helped select him.
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Algoritmi Feb 15, 2022 08:08pm
@Ibrahim S Have some sense, why everything is blamed on government? This country's judicial system is a joke that's why people like zaradaris and shareefs are roaming free who have committed more serious crimes than murdering someone.
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Ahmed khan lehri Feb 15, 2022 09:31pm
That was their internal domestic problem. If you can't stop vulgarity then please don't support it too.
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krishna Feb 15, 2022 10:10pm
She killed herself
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Sane Mind1st Feb 15, 2022 11:09pm
@Ibrahim S "try looking at your feet,"
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TenJee Feb 16, 2022 12:25am
Even when these celebs are right, their track record of causes they celebrate and support means their words just make the rest of Pakistan secure in their being different to these people. Nighat Dad? Who works for Facebook, a company whose products has become tarred with damage to privacy and mental well being of young girls in particular.
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Zulfiqar Feb 16, 2022 02:30am
@Ibrahim S what has Imran khan got to do with this?
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Salman Feb 16, 2022 04:23am
IT is definitely not the opposite world. Just Naya Pakistan.
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Salman Feb 16, 2022 04:24am
@Ibrahim S Exactly, the same direction, which you voted for.
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Taimur Feb 16, 2022 06:02am
@krishna "She killed herself" and brutally too
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Candid Feb 16, 2022 08:11am
Pak going the Afghan way
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nk Feb 16, 2022 08:36am
@Ibrahim S Why he is unrelated to PTI tenure.
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Shahbaz Ahmed Feb 16, 2022 10:08am
@Ibrahim S What PM IK to do with the release of this murderer?? Does it make sense??
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Truth Feb 16, 2022 10:44am
Our NayaPakistan and we Pakistanis are living in Ostriches' world filled with criminals and rapists all around us.
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