Court awards life term to accused Waseem in Qandeel Baloch murder case

MULTAN (92 News) – A trial court in Multan on Friday handed down life imprisonment to an accused, Muhammad Waseem, involved in murder of her sister social media star Qandeel Baloch. Suspects including Qandeel’s brother, the main accused, Muhammad Wasim, her other brother Aslam Shaheen, Mufti Abdul Qavi, Haq Nawaz and Abdul Basit appeared before court during the announcement of verdict. Judge Imran Shafi announced the verdict and awarded main accused Muhammad Waseem as life term. The court acquitted all others accused on the behalf of suspicion. Speaking to media outside the court, Mufti Qavi, whom the victim’s parents had held responsible for their daughter’s killing, terms the today’s verdict as historical and said that no witness presented before the court against him. He also said that the court acquitted him due to no evidence and witness against him. Mufti Qavi further said that the police also did not present any witness against him. He said that purposely he was being included in the case and suspect convicted and the innocent acquitted. He said that his name had not been included in the FIR. It is pertinent to mention here that Baloch’s brother Waseem had strangled her to death in the name of “honour” at their house in July 2016. He later confessed to have killed her because she allegedly brought dishonour to the Baloch name with her risque videos and statements posted on social media. Her brother Shaheen was also nominated in the case. On Thursday, a model court in Multan reserved its verdict on the murder case of social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch. Judge Imran Shafi reserved the verdict after the prosecution and defence completed their arguments in the case. In the case, 35 witnesses recorded their statements. The verdict is likely to be announced tomorrow. Earlier, the court rejected a request by the parents of slain social media star to pardon her brothers, who are accused of killing her. The judge asked them whether they were only pardoning their sons and not all the accused in the murder case, to which the parents responded in affirmative. Judge informed them that he would decide their request after examining whether law grants them the right to pardon the killers or not. The court later dismissed Baloch’s parents’ application to pardon their sons, with the judge saying the case regarding murder in the name of ‘honour’ would be decided once the testimonies of all witnesses have been recorded. On Wednesday, the Qandeel Baloch murder case took a new turn when the model girl’s parents announced a pardon for their sons and submitted an affidavit to court for their acquittal. The model court judge summoned the prosecution and the lawyers on the next date of hearing. In the affidavit, the parents said they had pardoned their sons Waseem and Aslam in the name of Allah Almighty and court should also acquit them. Her father Muhammad Azeem Baloch, in the affidavit, stated that the story concocted on the basis of murder for honour is against the facts. He had registered the case against his son Muhammad Waseem, his friends Haq Nawaz and Muhammad Zafar and driver Abdul Basit.