DERA GHAZI KHAN: In addition to probing the role of a cleric,Mufti Abdul Qavi in the murder of social media star Qandeel Baloch, police have also decided to include the slain celebrity’s parents in the investigation.
Qandeel, whose real name was Fozia Azeem, had a significantly large social media fan-base. She frequently posted pictures and videos considered suggestive by religious conservatives, which invited criticism and misogynist abuse online. Her brother, Waseem, drugged Qandeel and strangled her to death on Friday at her Multan residence. He confessed to having killed her over ‘honour’. According to SHO Muzaffarabad police station, Qandeel’s father, who nominated Waseem and another one of his sons in the FIR, changed his statement thrice. The autopsy report contradicted the time of the murder, as stated by Qandeel’s parents in the FIR. However, Qandeel’s parents had said that their son killed Qandeel between 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. in the early hours of Saturday. Waseem, who confessed to killing Qandeel, admitted that he had drugged his sister using the same sedatives that their father had used. He also revealed that he had visited their Multan residence at least three times with the intention of killing Qandeel. However, his attempts were foiled as their parents sent him away every time, saying Qandeel was not home.
Furthermore, Qandeel’s mother also accused Qavi of instigating his sons Shahid, Aashiq and Waseem against her slain daughter. Police have added Section 311 in the FIR after initial investigations. The state has also become a complainant in Qandeel’s murder, making it impossible for Qandeel’s family to pardon those involved in her murder. Waseem, the prime suspect in the murder case, is being held under physical remand at Muzaffarabad police station for three days.
