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Qandeel Baloch

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Qandeel Baloch
Qandeel Baloch in 2014
Born
Fouzia Azeem

(1990-03-01)1 March 1990
Shah Sadar Din, Punjab, Pakistan
Died(2016-07-15)15 July 2016
Multan, Punjab, Pakistan
NationalityPakistani
Occupation(s)Social media celebrity, model, actress, singer
Years active2013-2016
SpouseAashiq Hussain (m. 2008 until death)
Children1

Qandeel Baloch (Urdu: قندیل بلوچ; 1 March 1990 - 15 July 2016), birth name Fouzia Azeem (Urdu: فوزیہ عظیم), was a Pakistani model, actress and feminist activist. She was the country's first social media celebrity.[1] Azeem rose to prominence due to her videos on social networks discussing her daily routine, her rights as a Pakistani woman, and various controversial issues.[2][3]

Baloch first received recognition from the media in 2013, when she auditioned for Pakistan Idol; her audition became popular and she became an Internet celebrity.[4][5] She is one of the top 10 most searched-for persons on the internet in Pakistan and was both celebrated and criticised for the content of her videos and posts.[6]

Early life

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Qandeel was born on 1 March, 1990 in Shah Sadar Din, a town in the Dera Ghazi Khan District,[7] of the southern part of the Punjab province of Pakistan, into a Saraiki-speaking, ethnic Baloch family.[7][8] She came from an underprivileged family, the daughter of Anwar Bibi and Muhammad Azeem, who scratched a living from local farming. She had six brothers and two sisters. Growing up, she was interested in her studies, as well as acting and singing. Before her rise to fame, her first job was as a bus hostess.[9]

Career

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Baloch's fame was based on her social media posts – pictures, videos and comments. These were considered bold and outrageous by the largely conservative Pakistani community. Her most popular videos were those of her with her catchphrase "How em luking?" (How am I looking?) and those of her saying "Maire sar mai pain ho raha hai" (my head hurts) in a funny and catchy tone. Her catchphrases became popular and were humorously adopted by Pakistani youth. They also featured dubbing social media site dubsmash and became widely popular among Indian and Pakistani youth alike.[6] Some international news media compared her to Kim Kardashian;[10] however, local commentators stated that she was more significant than Kardashian, as Baloch "went against the norms of society" and lived life on her own terms.[11] She started to appear on Pakistani talk shows regularly by 2014, either to perform songs or to discuss her rising social media popularity. She participated in "Desi Kuriyan (season 4)" as a contestant. She also served as digital manager at Neptuner Web Solutions.[12]

In June 2016, Baloch met senior cleric Mufti Abdul Qawi at a hotel to learn more about her faith; the interaction between them brought about mayhem on social media platforms, as their photos became popular online.[13][14][15] She also wore a hat with the Mufti's signature.[16] The meeting led to the Mufti being suspended from his position from one of Pakistan's religious committees, and to Baloch being a regular on popular Pakistani current affairs and news programmes. She appeared on various popular Pakistani TV shows with senior anchors such as Mubashir Lucman. She would mostly be on talk shows debating with religious scholars on her western and controversial acts and lifestyle.[17]

A previous stunt which became popular on social media was her promise to strip dance for her followers and to dedicate her dance to cricketer Shahid Afridi if Pakistan won the Twenty20 match against India on 19 March 2016. She released a teaser on social media, which became popular, but Pakistan lost the match.[18] Some Indian media compared her to Poonam Pandey.[19][20]

As her media presence grew, Baloch began to use her position to comment on women's position in Pakistani society. The week before she was murdered, she released a music video entitled Ban, which mocked the restrictions placed on women in the country.[17] In an interview with controversial anchor Mubashir Luqman, Baloch named Sunny Leone, Rakhi Sawant and Poonam Pandey as her inspirations.[21] She also said that many organizations, people and media groups were calling her to feature in their shows to increase their own ratings.

Security concerns

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Following the June 2016 meeting with Qawi, Qandeel held a press conference and reported that she received death threats both from him and from others, and demanded police protection from the state.[17][22] At the end of June, images of Baloch's passport and national identity card were broadcast on the news, showing her hometown and father's name.[23]

At around the same time, Baloch's ex-husband described in the media their brief marriage, revealing intimate details of their relationship. Baloch claimed her husband had been abusive, and cried publicly about the pain of the marriage.[11] Around 14 July 2016, Baloch spoke by phone to a reporter from the Express Tribune and stated that she feared for her life.[17] She told the reporter that she had sought protection from the police but on receiving no response, had decided to move abroad with her parents after the Eid al-Fitr holidays as she felt unsafe in Pakistan.[9]

Personal life

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In 2008, at age 17, Baloch was married to a local man named Aashiq Hussain, her mother's cousin.[24][25] She had a son with him.[9][26] Her husband beat and tortured her, and after two years of marriage, she fled. (Baloch's mother, when preparing her daughter's body for her funeral, found cigarette burns on her arms.)[27] She left her son with his father and moved to Karachi.[28]

Death

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On 15 July 2016, Baloch was drugged and then asphyxiated by her brother M. Waseem while she was asleep at her parents' home in Multan.[8][9][29] Her death was reported by her father Azeem.[9][30][31] It was first reported as a shooting, but an autopsy report confirmed that Baloch was murdered by asphyxiation while she was asleep,[32] on the night of 15–16 July, around 11:15 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. By the time her body was found, she had already been dead for between 15 and 36 hours.[33] Marks on Baloch's body revealed that her mouth and nose were pinned shut to asphyxiate her.[11][34] Police said that they would investigate all sides of the murder including honour killing.[35]

A First Information Report against her brother Waseem and another brother Aslam Shaheen, who allegedly persuaded Waseem to kill their sister, was issued.[36][37] Baloch's father Azeem stated in the FIR that his sons Aslam Shaheen and Waseem were responsible for their sister's death and had killed her for her money. Her father told the press "my daughter was brave and I will not forget or forgive her brutal murder."[38]

Waseem was arrested on the evening of 16 July. He confessed to murdering his sister, saying "she [Qandeel Baloch] was bringing disrepute to our family's honour and I could not tolerate it any further. I killed her around 11:30 p.m. on Friday night when everyone else had gone to bed. My brother is not involved in the murder."[39]

Murder case

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Wikinews has related news:

The state was named as complainant in her murder case, making it impossible for the victim's family to pardon the perpetrator [40][41][42] (see the Pakistani diyaa law). Mufti Abdul Qawi was named as an abettor in the case's First Information Report (FIR) by her father.[43][44][45]

In September 2019, Baloch's brother Waseem was sentenced to life imprisonment for her murder.[46]

In February 2022, Waseem's lawyer confirmed that the Pakistan appeals court had released Waseem three years after he was convicted of killing her for "bringing dishonor" to the family. An order from the court has not yet been made public.[47]

Reactions

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See also: Honour killing in Pakistan

Baloch's murder was widely condemned by media celebrities and people around the globe,[48][49] while many in Pakistan were more inclined to support her murder.[50] Several personalities, including Madonna, Khloé Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rakhi Sawant, Imran Khan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sharmila Farooqi, Reham Khan, Sanam Baloch, Osman Khalid Butt, Meesha Shafi, Nadia Hussain, Ali Zafar,[51] along with many others condemned the incident,[52][53] including filmmaker and activist Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy who said, "I really feel that no woman is safe in this country, until we start making examples of people, until we start sending men who kill women to jail, unless we literally say there will be no more killing and those who dare will spend the rest of their lives behind bars."[54] She further said, "There is not a single day where you don't pick up a paper and see a woman hasn't been killed... this is an epidemic."[55]

Then-British Prime Minister Theresa May also condemned the murder saying, "there is absolutely no honour in so-called honour killings and they should be referred to as acts of terror."[56] May also said it was 'criminal' for women to be murdered by their male relatives on the grounds of defending family 'honour'.[57] The daughter of the Pakistani ex-Prime Minister Maryam Nawaz announced that the government had finalized the draft law against honour killings in light of the negotiations and the final draft will be presented to a committee of joint session of parliament on 21 July for consideration and approval.”[58][59]

Vigils for Baloch were held in Lahore and Karachi.[60] On 2 November 2017, the of Baloch's father submitted an application to police alleging that his life was in danger from those who planned his daughter's murder.[61]

[edit]

Baloch's death has drawn mixed reactions from different sections of society in Pakistan. Some called her death an honour killing and some think that the motive was money. An episode in the A-Plus Entertainment series Yeh Junoon was partially based on her life. The series starred Zhalay Sarhadi and Shamoon Abbasi in lead roles.

On 27 July 2017, Urdu1 started to air a 28-episode biopic television drama titled Baaghi (meaning "Rebel" in Urdu) based on Qandeel's life, where Saba Qamar plays her character. The first episode amassed more than 4 million views on YouTube and the series went on to become a major critical and commercial success.[62]

In 2016, MangoBaaz reported that Qandeel Baloch was the most Googled person in Pakistan in 2016.[63]

In March 2017, the British-Pakistani-Indian-American hip hop group Swet Shop Boys dedicated the track Aaja from their latest album to the memory of Qandeel Baloch. Recorded samples of her voice from her social media content is also used towards the end of the track.[64]

In June 2017, a documentary film Undercover Asia S4: In The Name Of Honour premiered on Channel NewsAsia. Produced by Make Productions, it tells how Baloch's bold and sexual videos challenged convention and shocked a nation which later led to fatal consequences.[65]

The 2023 film Wakhri is loosely based on Baloch’s case.[66]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bahuguna, Urvashi (12 May 2018). "'Only after her murder was Qandeel Baloch praised as a feminist, as a modern Pakistani woman'". Scroll.in. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  2. ^ Raza, Sarah; Rehman, Ayesha (9 September 2015). "Self proclaimed drama queen: Qandeel Baloch". Samaa TV.
  3. ^ Alam, Zainab B. (2020). "Do-it-Yourself Activism in Pakistan: The Fatal Celebrity of Qandeel Baloch". Perspectives on Politics. 18 (1): 76–90. doi:10.1017/S1537592719002408. ISSN 1537-5927. S2CID 201390494.
  4. ^ "Hilarious audition of Qandeel Baloch In Pakistan Idol". ABP Live. 23 March 2016. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  5. ^ "Desperate for instant fame, Pakistan model Qandeel Baloch, who had recently made headlines with her antics to gain popularity, now has come with another way of grabbing the limelight". Siasat.pk. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Qandeel Baloch murder: This video gives an insight into the Pakistani model's life". 16 July 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  7. ^ a b Sindhu, Haider Ali (23 June 2016). "Qandeel's Cinderella story: How a bus hostess from Shadun Lund became controversy queen in Karachi". en.dailypakistan.com.pk.
  8. ^ a b Chieu Luu; Shazia Bhatti. "Father of slain social media star: 'It is my desire to take revenge'". CNN. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Qandeel Baloch strangled to death by brother in suspected honour killing". The Express Tribune. 16 July 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  10. ^ Desobeau, Diane (26 February 2016). "To post or not to post". nationthailand. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  11. ^ a b c "Pakistan: Anger after honour killing of Qandeel Baloch". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  12. ^ Web Solutions, Neptuner. "digital marketing manager". Neptuner web Solutions.
  13. ^ "When Qandeel Baloch met Mufti Qavi: A guideline on how NOT to learn Islam". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  14. ^ Hussain, Fayyaz. "What really happened when Mufti Abdul Qavi broke his fast with Qandeel Baloch in a hotel?". Daily Pakistan. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  15. ^ "Qandeel Baloch claims Mufti Qavi 'hopelessly in love' with her!". Pakistan Today. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  16. ^ "Qandeel Baloch stirs storm with selfies". THE NEWS INTERNATIONAL. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  17. ^ a b c d Saifi, Sophia. "Pakistan social media star killed by brother". CNN. CNN. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  18. ^ "Qandeel Baloch: Pak model to strip if team win WT20 match against India". Hindustan Times. 18 March 2016.
  19. ^ Pandey, Tanushree (16 March 2016). "Someone seems to be going the Poonam Pandey way this #WT20 season. Howzat?". IBN Live.
  20. ^ "Pakistan Got its own Poonam Pandey! Here's What She'll Do If Pak Wins WC '16". Dailybhaskar.com. 17 March 2016.
  21. ^ APDP – All Pakistani Dramas Page (25 March 2016), Khara Sach With Mubashir Luqman 25 March 2016 – Qandeel Baloch Exclusive Interview, retrieved 26 March 2016
  22. ^ "Receiving life-threatening calls from Mufti Qawi, claims Qandeel Baloch". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  23. ^ Maher, Sanam (9 July 2019). "'You'll miss me when I'm gone': the murder of social media star Qandeel Baloch". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  24. ^ "Plot thickens: Qandeel Baloch was once married and has a son". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  25. ^ "Qandeel Baloch's ex-husband comes forward with startling claims". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  26. ^ Mohsin, Mahboob (13 July 2016). "Secret marriage of Qandeel Baloch; Mother of seven years old son". 24 News HD. Archived from the original on 15 July 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  27. ^ Sehgal, Peru (January 28, 2010) "Pakistan’s First Social Media Star and the Forces That Enabled Her Murder." New York Times. (Retrieved 28 January 2010.)
  28. ^ "They Wanted Her Body". Longreads. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  29. ^ "'I have no regrets': Brother of slain Pakistani social media star arrested". ABC News. 17 July 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  30. ^ Gabol, Imran (16 July 2016). "Qandeel Baloch killed by brother in Multan: police". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  31. ^ "Qandeel Baloch Killed by brother in Multan". whrill.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  32. ^ "Qandeel's dead body shows no marks of torture: autopsy report". Pakistan Today. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  33. ^ Rao, Hamza. "Qandeel Baloch's autopsy reveals new facts". Daily Pakistan. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  34. ^ "Breathing blockage caused Qandeel's death: autopsy". SAMAA TV. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  35. ^ "Qandeel Baloch murdered in Multan for 'honour'". Dunya News. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  36. ^ "FIR registered against brother of Qandeel Baloch". Pakistan Today. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  37. ^ Subhani, Tassur (17 July 2016). "Qandeel's father nominates his two sons in daughter's murder, lodges FIR". Dawn News. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  38. ^ "Qandeel Baloch's brother arrested says he killed her for honour". Pakistan Today. 16 July 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  39. ^ "Qandeel Baloch's brother arrested, says he killed her for 'honour'". Pakistan Today. 17 July 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  40. ^ "State becomes complainant in Qandeel's murder case". Daily Times, Pakistan. 18 July 2016.
  41. ^ "Pakistan bars family from 'forgiving' son for Qandeel Baloch's killing". Times of India. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  42. ^ Boone, Jon (18 July 2016). "Police stop murdered Pakistani star's brother from using blood money law". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  43. ^ Raja, Shoaib (12 August 2016). "Mufti Abuld Qavi booked for Qandeel Baloch Murder Case". 24 News HD. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016.
  44. ^ "Mufti Abdul Qaci nominated for Qandeel Baloch Murder Case". BBC. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  45. ^ "Mufti Abuld Qavi booked for Qandeel Baloch Murder as Abettor". Abb Takk News. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  46. ^ "Brother of murdered social media star jailed". BBC News. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  47. ^ Saifi, Sophia (15 February 2022). "Court frees brother who confessed to killing social media star Qandeel Baloch". CNN News. p. 1. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  48. ^ Chughtai, Aliya (17 July 2016). "Pakistan: Angehr after honour killing of Qandeel Baloch". Aljazeera. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  49. ^ "Notable personalities condemn Qandeel's 'honour killing'". Dunya News. 17 July 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  50. ^ "Qandeel Baloch's death takes Twitter by storm, Pakistan sees mixed reactions". Business Standard. 17 July 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  51. ^ "Pakistan reacts to Qandeel Baloch's shocking murder". Dawn News. 17 July 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  52. ^ Lodhi, Rida (17 July 2016). "Honor Killing of Qandeel Baloch condemned by famous personalities". Aaj TV. Archived from the original on 17 July 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  53. ^ Lodhi, Rida (17 July 2016). "Qandeel Baloch killed: Richa Chadha, Mishi Khan, Sabeena Khan (Published UK Author on Pakistani issues, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and others mourn". IB Times. gossip.pk. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  54. ^ "Qandeel Baloch: Pakistan social media celebrity 'killed by brother'". BBC. 17 July 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  55. ^ "Pakistan social media star Baloch killed 'by brother'". Agence France-Presse. 17 July 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.[permanent dead link]
  56. ^ Hughes, Laura (19 July 2016). "Theresa May says there is 'no honour' in so-called honour killings". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  57. ^ Rao, Hamza (19 July 2016). "British Prime Minister also speaks up about Qandeel Baloch's murder". Sky News. Daily Pakistan. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  58. ^ "Pakistan to pass law against honor killings in weeks: Maryam Nawaz". Sama TV. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  59. ^ Zahra-Malik, Mehreen (19 July 2016). "Pakistan to pass law against honor killings in weeks: PM's daughter". Reuters. Archived from the original on 24 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  60. ^ "Taken away: Vigil held for Qandeel Baloch". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  61. ^ "Life of father of Qandeel Baloch in danger". Dispatch News Desk. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  62. ^ YouTube, a Google company. YouTube. Archived from the original on 17 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  63. ^ Amer, Sarmad (14 December 2016). "Pakistan, These Are The People You Googled The Most In 2016". MangoBaaz. MangoBaaz. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  64. ^ Swet Shop Boys - Aaja ft. Ali Sethi (Official Music Video). Youtube. 2 March 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  65. ^ "Undercover Asia S4: In The Name Of Honour". Channel NewsAsia. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  66. ^ "'Wakhri': Red Sea Film Inspired by Slain Pakistan Social Media Star Unveils First Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. 6 November 2023.

Further reading

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Books
  • A Woman Like Her: The Story Behind the Honor Killing of a Social Media Star, by Sanam Maher (2020, Melville House)
Journal
  • Shenila Khoja-Moolji (2022) Patriarchy as an Assemblage: Qandeel Baloch, Male Domination and Feminist Publics in Pakistan, South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, DOI: 10.1080/00856401.2021.1969138
Media
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