Mumbai: Qandeel Baloch murder case was one of most publicized murder cases in Pakistan. The Pakistani social media celebrity was murdered in 2016 and his brother Mohammad Arif was accused of murdering her.
Now after more than three years, Arif has been arrested taking help from Interpol. Arif has been handed over to the Punjab province police, according to a senior police officer.
Fouzia Azeem, better known as Qandeel, was strangled to death at her Multan home in Punjab province July 15, 2016, in a chilling murder that sent shock waves across the neighbouring country. This murder triggered a grief outpour on social media and sparking fierce debate over the prevalence of “honour killings” of women.
Baloch’s brother was arrested by Multan police Saturday aided by Interpol and handed him over to Muzaffarabad police station in Multan, senior police official Mahar Bashir Hiraj was quoted by the Dawn newspaper.
Arif had been declared an absconder in the murder case of Baloch. His arrest comes after a Pakistani court September 27 sentenced another brother of Baloch Muhammad Wasim to life imprisonment for killing her sister.
Confessing the murder of his 26-year-old sister, Wasim said she had brought “disrepute” to the “family’s honour” with her risque videos and statements which were posted on social media.
Wasim was awarded life imprisonment by Sessions Court Multan Judge Imran Shafi. The judge though acquitted six other suspects including Baloch’s another brother Aslam Shaheen, her cousin Haq Nawaz and cleric Abdul Qavi. A total of 35 witnesses had recorded their statements.