Qandeel Baloch
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'''This page, though already very comprehensive, is still being expanded and will continue to be till at least the end of July 2016. The Indpaedia team is scanning Qandeel's online posts for insights.''' | '''This page, though already very comprehensive, is still being expanded and will continue to be till at least the end of July 2016. The Indpaedia team is scanning Qandeel's online posts for insights.''' | ||
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| + | [[File: qandeel 2011.png| Qandeel Baloch in 2011, at age 21.<br/> 'Cute, na?' Qandeel commented on this picture of hers. |frame|500px]] | ||
[[File: Qandeel Baloch1.jpg|Qandeel Baloch |frame|500px]] | [[File: Qandeel Baloch1.jpg|Qandeel Baloch |frame|500px]] | ||
[[File: Qandeel Baloch4.jpg|Qandeel Baloch |frame|500px]] | [[File: Qandeel Baloch4.jpg|Qandeel Baloch |frame|500px]] | ||
[[File: Qandeel Baloch13.jpg|Qandeel Baloch |frame|500px]] | [[File: Qandeel Baloch13.jpg|Qandeel Baloch |frame|500px]] | ||
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[[File: Qandeel Baloch virat.png|Qandeel Baloch: This particular dedication to Virat Kohli had made Qandeel unpopular in Pakistan |frame|500px]] | [[File: Qandeel Baloch virat.png|Qandeel Baloch: This particular dedication to Virat Kohli had made Qandeel unpopular in Pakistan |frame|500px]] | ||
[[File: Qandeel Baloch short skirt.jpg| But Qandeel Baloch had a fiercely patriotic side, too. <br/> She was willing to strip for the Pakistani cricket team, if it beat India.|frame|500px]] | [[File: Qandeel Baloch short skirt.jpg| But Qandeel Baloch had a fiercely patriotic side, too. <br/> She was willing to strip for the Pakistani cricket team, if it beat India.|frame|500px]] | ||
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[[File: Qandeel Ban4.png| The Punjabi pop video ''Ban'' (July 2016) features singer Aryan Khan with Qandeel Baloch reprising memes from Hollywood and Filmistan (worse known as Bollywood). |frame|500px]] | [[File: Qandeel Ban4.png| The Punjabi pop video ''Ban'' (July 2016) features singer Aryan Khan with Qandeel Baloch reprising memes from Hollywood and Filmistan (worse known as Bollywood). |frame|500px]] | ||
[[File: Qandeel Ban9.png|The Punjabi pop video ''Ban'' (July 2016) featuring dancer Qandeel Baloch. |frame|500px]] | [[File: Qandeel Ban9.png|The Punjabi pop video ''Ban'' (July 2016) featuring dancer Qandeel Baloch. |frame|500px]] | ||
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=Highlights= | =Highlights= | ||
Revision as of 20:46, 17 July 2016
This page, though already very comprehensive, is still being expanded and will continue to be till at least the end of July 2016. The Indpaedia team is scanning Qandeel's online posts for insights.
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
'Cute, na?' Qandeel commented on this picture of hers.
She was willing to strip for the Pakistani cricket team, if it beat India.
Life, indeed, was cheap.
She posted this picture of a Muslim [religious] cleric secretly ogling her (Qandeel’s) photographs
The Pakistani newspaper The Nation seems to have published the picture.
Translation: A woman, too, can rob a man of his honour. If you don’t believe this, ask Mufti Qavi.
‘Robbing of honour’ is a euphemism for rape.
Pakistan does not have a National Commission for Women, with quasi-judicial powers to summon. It has a National Commission on the Status of Women, though.
The exaggerated bosom jutting forward caricatures the third picture below.
Qandeel and Mufti Qavi, wearing his fur cap: and an expression of mock horror.
Someone who had as a child obviously been good at ‘Spot the difference’ (between two pictures), pointed out: “Mufti saab bhi tharki nikle [Mufti saab, too, turned out to be horny]… where is waistcoat of mufti in the second pic hmmmmm……”
True. Not only the cap, even the waistcoat was gone.
Some Pakistani girls appreciated Qandeel’s honesty.
The self-styled ‘QueenNaela Irene’ replied, ‘Ur getting naked that's what u are! Embarrassing’
The quote in red (bottom left) has Qandeel Baloch asking, ‘How m looking? Tell me how m looking?’
After that comic interlude, let us take a look at more serious issues.
Qandeel, her head chastely covered, announced her Nemat Khwani for Ramzan
Qandeel Baloch
Men like Jalal Arya responded with comments like, ‘So hot’ (and worse comments)
Girls like PYari Behna (‘sweet sister’) fumed, ‘BeHya’ (shameless)
One Ahsan Ullah commented ‘Tu bi is tarha apna picture sher kar’ (You should share this kind of a picture of yourself’
Qandeel replied. ‘Main etni easy nahi hun ok’ (I am not that ‘easy,’ OK?)
Singer Aryan Khan and dancer Qandeel Baloch in the Pakistani pop video Ban (July 2016).
Qandeel Baloch’s gyrations that might attract a Ban include this …
Derriere jerking is not mainstream in Pakistan in 2016, though a few decades before film vamps did it
The Pakistani pop video Ban (July 2016) by singer Aryan Khan and dancer Qandeel Baloch.
The Punjabi pop video Ban (July 2016) by singer Aryan Khan and dancer Qandeel Baloch.
Contents |
Highlights
Qandeel Baloch, Pakistani model, killed by brother The Times of India TNN & Agencies | Jul 16, 2016
Qandeel Baloch was killed by her brother.
Baloch had been likened to Kim Kardashian.
She had been frequently posting bold pictures of her on social media sites
Early life
Fouzia (later Qandeel) was born on the 1st March, 1990 in Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan
She was married to Ashiq Hussain from 2008 to 2010. They had a son, who was born in 2009 and was seven at the time of Qandeel's murder.
Her real name was Fouzia Azeem but she chose Qandeel Baloch as her nom de guerre after stepping into modelling.
Fouzia/Qandeel was variously described as an actor and model. She saw herself as a guitar playing pop singer as well. However, just as Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton were generally known to be 'famous for being famous,' Qandeel's main profession, according to Google, was that she was a 'YouTuber'
Qandeel was active in the public imagination for just around two years (2014-16) before her untimely murder on the 15th July, 2016.
Early careers: bus hostess, South Africa, Middle East
Qandeel’s Cinderella story: How a bus hostess from Shadun Lund became controversy queen in Karachi Haider Ali Sindhu, Daily Pakistan, June 23, 2016
MULTAN (Malik Azam) Qandeel Baloch/ Fouzia Azeem hails from one of the most backward areas of Dera Ghazi Khan, called Shah Sadar Din. [It is a tribal area.]
Back in 2003-04, when she was still in the eighth grade, she fell in love with a boy and they both decided to elope together. Unfortunately, the day Fouzia fled her home the boy she was in love with ditched her.
This betrayal marked a turning point in the model’s life who then decided to become completely self-reliant in life.
She joined a bus transport company as a hostess and braved the grim challenges of life. Back then, she was reportedly in touch with her family. However, she later decided to move on with her life and joined show business with a new name Qandeel Baloch.
In 2007, she went to South Africa to earn money for herself. She later worked in the Middle East and various European countries before opting to return back to Pakistan to work on her acting skills.
Qandeel now switches between Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad to fuel her rising star. Reportedly, she is now in correspondence with her family and stays with her father when she is in Lahore.
Qandeel has four sibling brothers, one of them is a drug addict, while another one is employed by the Punjab Police. The third one earns his livelihood in Saudi Arabia while the fourth is still of school-going age.
The Baloch people were not amused
Fouzia Azeem's chosen pseudonym, Qandeel Baloch, did not amuse the Baloch people.
One Shahid Baloch wrote about Qandeel, ‘Qandeel baloch nai han aur please dobara baloch ka naam is na jurhna Q k baloch Alhamdullah izat dar hothi’ (Qandeel is not a Baloch and, please, she should stop associating the name Baloch with her own because the Baloch people, Allah be praised, are a respectable people [people with a sense of honour].’
The Express Tribune wrote on July 13, 2016, three days before Qandeel’s murder: Last month, Senior Civil Judge Khursheed Ahmad summoned model Qandeel Baloch to court at a hearing on a petition filed by a lawyer. Advocate Shahbaz Ali Khan Gurmani, the petitioner, said that Baloch had brought ‘shame’ to the Baloch race by adopting the surname. He said she had no ties to the Baloch race.
Separately, Gadai union council vice chairman Fayyaz Khan Leghari of Dera Ghazi Khan sent model Baloch a legal notice on Monday demanding that she apologise for ‘bringing shame’ to the Baloch race, stop using Baloch as her surname and pay him Rs50 million. “Otherwise, strict action will be taken against you”, says the legal notice (a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune).
Profile
Owais Qarni, The Express Tribune published this on June 24, 2016, just three weeks before Qandeel’s murder.
Though she is reviled by many and frequently subjected to misogynist abuse online, Qandeel has won praise by a segment of youth for her forthright attitude.
On Valentine’s Day, she donned a plunging scarlet dress and posted a video message defying President Mamnoon Hussain, who had issued a stern warning against the “Western” holiday. “They can stop people from going out, but they can’t stop people from loving,” she declared in a Facebook video, going on to branding politicians “idiotic and disgusting”. The video was viewed more than 830,000 times, and garnered 7,000 likes in the first weeks.
Pakistan Today added
“Nothing is good in this society. This patriarchal society is bad,” Qandeel had said in a recent interview with Images.
In one of her last Facebook posts, Qandeel reiterated her unapologetic approach: “No matter how many times I will be pushed down under… I am a fighter, I will bounce back.”
“Qandeel Baloch [is an] inspiration to ladies who are treated badly… I know you will keep on hating, who cares?” wrote Qandeel, who often referred to herself as a “one-woman army”.
Indpaedia adds: Qandeel saw her fight as ideological, ‘I believe I am a modern day feminist. I believe in equality. I need not to choose what type of women should be. I don't think there is any need to label ourselves just for sake of society. I am just a women with free thoughts free mindset and I LOVE THE WAY I AM.
‘As a women we must stand up for ourselves..As a women we must stand up for each other...As a women we must stand up for justice’
She also lashed out at sexual hypocrisy and against people who watched her pictures by night but threatened her by day: 'Get lost tharki awam [horny society]'
Marriage revealed three days before her murder
Qandeel Baloch's ex-husband comes forward with startling claims: The Express Tribune wrote this on July 13, 2016, three days before Qandeel’s murder.
In an unexpected turn of events, a man claiming to be internet sensation Qandeel Baloch’s husband came forward live on television on Wednesday [July 13, 2016].
The event was shortly followed by Baloch admitting she was indeed married and even had a child from her marriage to the man.
“My husband used to beat me up,” she said while speaking to Express News
Baloch admitted she had a son with Hussain. However, she added, “He never told my child I am his mother. It was a forced marriage.”
Speaking to Express News, Hussain refuted Baloch’s claims and said it was a love marriage. “I still have letters which she wrote with her blood,” he said.
“She wanted a car and bungalow from me,” Hussain added.
“I never contacted Aashiq Hussain after the divorce,” Baloch said. “I took a divorce because I wanted to study further and work but I was forcibly married.”
“He tortured me day and night during the one year I was married to him,” Baloch said while speaking to The Express Tribune. “After a year, I ran away with my son and sought refuge in Darul Aman,” she continued. However, the social media sensation said her son fell sick and she could not afford treatment so she was forced to give his custody to Hussain.
“I will fight for my son now.”
The social media startlet aid she was married when she was 17 years old to a man hailing from Kot Addu.
First shot at fame
Qandeel shot to fame in Pakistan in 2014 after a video of her pouting for the camera and asking “How em looking?” went viral. (The picture is on this page.) (The Express Tribune, March 22, 2016)
Her Facebook page ‘crashes’
… as she promises to strip for cricket.
Facebook temporarily removes Qandeel Baloch’s official fan page, The Express Tribune, March 22, 2016
Qandeel Baloch’s death, of course, choked Facebook. However, almost four months before Facebook temporarily removed Qandeel Baloch’s entertaining fan page. She had over 400,000 followers on her Facebook page.
The Facebook page “Qandeel Baloch Official” redirected to the social media website’s home page indicating that her page has been officially taken down. However, it was restored soon.
It remains unclear why the page was removed, but a flurry of user reports may have triggered the action on Facebook’s part.
The move came days after the self-proclaimed model-singer-actor took social media by storm as she vowed to perform a “striptease” if the Pakistan cricket team won against arch rivals India at the Eden Gardens World T20 clash on March 19. “If Pakistan beats India in the match scheduled on March 18, I’ll strip dance for the country and will dedicate the dance to our captain Shahid Afridi,” she had said on her Facebook page.
Bigg Boss
In 2016 there was a buzz about Qandeel Baloch appearing on India’s Bigg Boss reality TV how. Qandeel Baloch was asked if she had filled the online form on the Colors website. She replied, “Why should I fill out a form? Those are for common people, not celebrities!”
She was right. It was Colors' privilege to have her on the show.
The saint and the showgirl
The sources of this section include: Owais Qarni, The Express Tribune, July 17, 2016, Qandeel had started fasting, had come towards religious teachings: Mufti Qawi +
Fayyaz Hussain, Daily Pakistan June 20, 2016, ‘What really happened when Mufti Abdul Qavi broke his fast with Qandeel Baloch in a hotel?’ +
( Qandeel Baloch, Pakistani model, killed by brother The Times of India TNN & Agencies | Jul 16, 2016)
Isadora Duncan had the hots for the scholar George Bernard Shaw, Menka for the saint Vishwamitr and Mary Magdalene for the divine Lord Jesus. Through history, independent women with interesting personal lives have pursued (and, often, done in) divinity, saints and scholars. Maybe the girls sought out the reclusive men thinking that some of the older bearded men's goodness/ scholarship would erase some of their own complicated relationship statuses.
Instead the young ladies' oomph managed to soil the thitherto revered men.
Only Shaw could get away lightly because of his sharp, self-deprecating wit (‘What if our child has your brains and my looks?’). Vishwamitr succumbed, and sank. The gospel according to St Matthew tells us that the "disciples were indignant." The gospel according to St John adds that Judas was the one who carped the most. Could that be one reason why he betrayed Lord Jesus.
Why did they meet?
It was June 2016, the month of Ramzan, the month of fasts. Qandeel Baloch wrote on her Facebook page that she had Iftar [i.e. she broke her fast] with Mufti Qavi. It seems that the two were appearing on the Ramzan transmission of a TV channel. “We sat in the lobby and broke our fasts. Later, she asked if she could take some pictures with me,” Mufti explained.
Lord Jesus’ justification for Magdalene’s anointing him was that the poor will always exist, and can be helped whenever desired.
What was Mufti Abdul Qavi’s, when he met Qandeel Baloch in a hotel room?
Hers was that she wanted to learn more about her faith. Qavi said: She had first wanted to meet PTI chief Imran Khan and I said that I will arrange a meeting between her and Imran Khan. Mufti Qawi had been serving as PTI Punjab ulema wing before his scandal surfaced across social media.
He further added, “I have sympathy for Qandeel because she had started fasting and had come towards religious teachings. She was learning Islamic teachings from me and I had shared Quranic verses with her as she had complained of bad omens and evil eyes of jealous people.”
Qandeel's Facebook posts in the month before that meeting with Qavi include some Islamic quotes in Urdu. So, obviously, she did want to learn about Islam.
Mufti Abdul Quvi has claimed that it was Qandeel Baloch who had requested the meeting, not him. Talking to Dunya News, he said that Baloch had promised to observe the entire month of Ramazan fasting.
Yet, the Mufti was unable to tame the shutterbug in Qandeel and stood next to the social media sensation for a number of selfies.
However, Baloch has claimed that Mufti Abdul Quvi had put in the request to meet her at the hotel he was staying in.
“The Mufti said, ‘I want to see you before the Eid moon,'” added Qandeel.
The Mufti’s own relationship status
This is not the Mufti’s first run-in with a headline-grabbing Pakistani celebrity like Qandeel. The Mufti had earlier developed close ties with Veena Malik, after entering into a verbal argument with her on live television. The Mufti now claims to be one of the major influences behind Veena Malik’s Islamic “reformation”.
In the video that was uploaded on Qandeel’s Facebook account, Qawi is seen saying he would guide the starlet on religious matters and that she had agreed to become his student. That was his justification. The Mufti even let her wear his trademark fur cap for a photo op. Her photograph (seen on this page) wearing the cap went viral.
But the meeting itself went horribly wrong.
The Mufti proposes marriage
Qandeel claimed Mufti Qawi had asked about her choice of cigarette and drink which led her to think that “he would trap her.”
“This is why I took selfies with Mufti Sahab,” she said.
“He also said that you must forget Imran Khan as he is 65 years old and live with me… I am only 50 years old. We will not make public our nuptial agreement.”
Qavi confirmed some of this, saying, “I had convinced her to repent on her sins and asked her to come towards the right path. I had even offered her a marriage proposal in her new life
The Mufti-Qandeel acquaintance was older
The Dawn had the inside story.
It began with Neo
Qandeel and Mufti Qavi were first acquainted during a live interview on Neo TV's show Ajeeb Sa, hosted by Rana Matlub. While on air, Qavi declared his desire to visit Qandeel on his next trip to Karachi.
According to Qandeel, he made many attempts to make that happen.
"We were both on [Ajeeb Sa], him from Multan, me in Karachi and our host was in Lahore. You may have seen it. He said he would be in Karachi for the moon sighting and that it was possible we would meet. I said 'Ji mufti sahib, most welcome'," Qandeel shared with Images.
"He’s publicity-hungry. He took my number from the media organisation and contacted me, saying 'I promised I would meet you'. He said 'I’m coming on this date' and then sent me his flight PNR number. But on chand raat I was in Lahore for a modelling gig and couldn’t meet him." Special iftars
"He came to Karachi again, the second time for an iftar transmission. He texted his flight number again. I told him I will come to see you tomorrow or day after but I couldn’t go as I wasn’t well."
"The third time he came, he texted and said from Monday to Friday, I will be in Karachi as I am on Amir Liaquat’s iftar transmission. Then I called him. I apologised for not meeting him earlier. He asked me to come after iftari, but I said no, I will come in the afternoon."
"He texted first, then I called," Qandeel emphasised, adding, "I think this is why there is confusion [about who called whom] and he says I called him. I only called him for this reason."
A 'conditional' visit
Mufti Qavi clarifies that the texts Qandeel is referring to are standard messages he sends all his friends whenever he flies into town.
"She called me two days before Ramazan and said that her followers were asking if I would visit her. I said to her, 'Yes, tell them that I will come, but only on the condition that you will fast for the whole month'," says Mufti Qavi.
"I have a habit that whenever I am traveling to another city, I text all my friends that I’ll be coming to the city at this time through this flight. When I went to Karachi for Geo TV, I messaged all my friends in Karachi along with her. I have neither sent any other text to invite her or to set up a meeting, nor did I call her. She won’t have proof of any other message."
"After this text, she called me the next day, saying that she wanted to meet me. Then, she came to meet me. I had told her that I will be at Geo TV for iftar transmission, so if you come, then come between 1pm and 4pm."
Alone time
When their meeting did take place, Qandeel maintains that she was alone with him for the most part.
"We were alone in the room," says Qandeel. "I went there only with my driver. He had called a couple of people to make a video of him for social media. They were two men — one had a camera. First, they were in the lobby, then they came to the room. Then he got rid of them in five minutes. Lots of people knocked but he would get rid of them at the door."
Mufti Qavi, however, says they were alone for only a few minutes.
"There was a family from Multan, an official from interior Sindh who is our seniors’ mureed [devotee], a team with a camera, six or seven other people and Qandeel. I listened to each of them, she was also there and listening to them. I also listened to her. All people left one by one after which Qandeel said two or three things which I mentioned."
"When I went to do my wuzu [ablutions], Qandeel wore my hat. When I expressed my surprise, she said that she wore my hat for barkat [blessings] because she did not have a dupatta."
"What she did in the minute or two after that, all the pictures that she took are in front of you."
'I party a lot so...'
Qandeel talked about their meeting in more expansive terms.
"I thought there would be some betterment in [meeting him] for me. I party a lot, I thought it would be beneficial to me if I spent some time around someone who is religious," says Qandeel.
"He called me, I didn’t know what he was like. But when I met him, I saw how he was like. He was different in front of others than he was with me. He would put on an act around other people."
"You may have heard of his fatwa, he said that contract nikkahs are jaez [allowed] and he has only one malka but has done nikkah 17 times. He said he had heard I was not very well off, and then said he earns money and has a lot of land in Multan and even gave me a business card with his various titles on it. I still have this business card."
A kiss and a hug
Qandeel claims that the Mufti tried to get intimate with her during their meeting.
"[He tried to] kiss me and hug me. You know in showbiz, girls are sometimes bold so we are okay with it. I was laughing and telling him not to do it. He stopped then and said 'I know you can’t phasaofy [trap] a girl in the first meeting. As our relationship develops, we will become more open with each other'."
"He couldn’t control his emotions. He was very emotional and made many attempts to hug and kiss me. The sofa I was sitting on, he sat on it and tried to make out with me. Then he would stop when I asked him to stop. Then he’d try again. Then he started talking about romance. He told me he knows how to seduce a woman and said 'You have to do this, start from the ear and then...' Main ne bola wah Mufti sahib ko tau romance karna bhi ata hai [Wow, Mufti sahib knows how to romance]."
'Complete rubbish'
Mufti Qavi says all of this is false.
"I have nothing to do with the ‘fahashi’ she’s talking about. She left satisfied with her respect and dignity in place. She said she would visit Multan on the second day of Eid and meet my mother."
"A while after she left, I got phone calls from people saying they saw photos and videos on TV channels and that Qandeel had been saying something. At first I thought that whatever she’s saying, she will probably be saying the right thing. But then when I was told she said I was lying, then I said ‘Oh no, she has a loose character’. I don’t know if she’s doing this alone or under the influence of someone else."
According to Mufti Qavi, Qandeel is now asking for his forgiveness.
"I got her message asking for forgiveness for her mistakes. I’ve forgiven her and I’ve told her that if she has any issues in the future, she should talk to me instead of engaging in blame games."
Mufti Qavi was even open to meet her on Eid.
"People are always coming and going for taaweez or other reasons. If she comes, we are very open, anyone can come to see us."
Qandeel: Mufti Qavi is hopelessly in love with me
Talking to June 20, 2016 Pakistan Today on the telephone, Qandeel Baloch claimed that Mufti Qavi “is hopelessly in love with her”
“Mufti Qavi is the Qandeel Baloch of Maulvis,” Qandeel Baloch said. “I am hoping that Mufti Qavi will formally propose to me in our next meeting,” she said.
Mufti loses 3 job; both lose respect
Qawi was widely ridiculed when Qandeel uploaded her pictures with the Mufti, along with a video of herself with the preacher, wearing his hat and pouting.
“I have unveiled a man who was leading the people towards ignorance in the name of Islam,” Qandeel said. “I will continue to unveil this hypocrite face of religious clerics who are defaming our religion and country.”
Indpaedia adds: When Qandeel posted their picture together on her Facebook page, comments flew thick and fast, mainly about her trying to ‘derail Muslims’ and corrupt Moulvis (clerics). The moulvi [presumably, Mufti Qavi] too was condemned roundly.
Fatima Baloch wrote, ‘Is oRat ko bsss Fame Chaiye jis k liye yeh ab yeh Muslims ko b derail karhi hy or second is Molvi Ko tou goli Maardeni chaiye bullshit’ (This woman only wants fame. She is trying to derail the Muslims. Secondly, this Moulvi should be shot dead.’)
Lord Jesus had got away with mere murmurs in the ranks. The Mufti’s fate was worse than Vishwamitr’s. Mufti Qavi’s memberships of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee as well as the National Ulema Mushaikh Council were suspended for taking selfies with Qandeel Baloch. - The Mufti had been a member of the Markazi Ruet-i-Hilal Committee, the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA) for seven years. He tried to console himself about his loss, saying, ‘Now the Markazi Ruet-i-Hilal Committee is being disbanded. The meeting now is the last meeting.’
Then Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf suspended Mufti Qavi’s party membership. The great cricketer-turned-politician had not got his third wife by then and Qandeel Baloch had occasionally indicated that she wanted to fill that slot. She had expressed her desire many times to marry ex-cricketer and opposition politician Imran Khan.
How the Mufti must have wished that he had had Shaw’s gift of the gab, Khaya piya kuchh nahin. Gilas ki poori dookan toot gayi.
Worse was to follow.
Qandeel alleges threats from the Mufti
Owais Qarni, The Express Tribune June 24, 2016 adds: Days after controversial selfies and videos of Qandeel Baloch and Mufti Abdul Qawi went viral, the self-proclaimed model demanded the government provide her security, claiming she is receiving life threats from the cleric.
“I am getting life threatening phone calls from Mufti Abdul Qawi, my life is constantly in danger and it is the duty of the government to protect my life and to provide me with security,” Qandeel told The Express Tribune.
“I have decided to file an FIR if the situation persists.”
Talking to The Express Tribune over phone, the social media starlet said she had not apologised [to] Mufti Qawi.
And threats from others
She had received threats from her family to quit modeling and her provocative appearances on social media. Her brother had been threatening her over her Facebook posts and videos , said the police.
Three weeks before her death, she had written to the interior minister, the director general of the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) and the senior superintendent of Islamabad asking them to provide security to her, Dawn reported.
She had said her life is in danger and that she is being threatened via calls on her mobile number and that she did not have security measures installed in her home, the paper said.
True Love
However, Qavi was genuinely smitten. After her murder he urged civil society activists to organise absentee funeral prayers in Multan for Qandeel.
Qawi had earlier to lead Qandeel’s funeral prayers and had arrived in Multan from Lahore especially for the purpose.
Needling conservative Pakistan
And hatred against Qandeel builds up
Hours after Qandeel’s murder ‘Sg Pm’ wrote on her Facebook page, ‘No killing ever made me such happy.hats off to the brother. Wish i could see her dying in live video. Tawdry attention whore #Rot_in_hell_bitch #righteous_kill’
The ratio of people with Muslim-sounding names who agreed with ‘Sg Pm’ and disagreed with him was 2 in his favour, one against him.
But this hatred had been building up.
Frank about her sexual desires On 25 May 2016, under the hashtag #Qandeel #Feeling #Hot, she wrote on Facebook something that most middle class girls even in supposedly permissive western socities would not, ‘boys give me surprises now long and fat surprises... ;)’
Reactions were appropriately raunchy. Ashish Mullick commented ‘Please try cricketer Mohammed Irfan... If you survive, you'll be in the Guinness Book of World Records 😉😉😉’
Laiba Abbasi advised #QandeelBaloch ‘You have a very bright future in porn industry...Please don't waste ur talent and time in Pakistan 😂😂😂 😂😂😂’
Insensitive to religious occasions Three days earlier, on the auspicious Shab e Barat day she had posted a picture [reproduced here] of her parted, yearning lips, with the caption, ‘aa dil kar raha hai kkkkkk ____? ‘ (Aah! My heart desires thatttttt…)
Once again reactions were hostile. Numan Ali wrote, ‘sharm kro #shab-E-#Barat hay.. aj tu bura se bura muslim b gunah nbi krta....tum pta nhi kis dheet meti ki bani hui hoo....idiot...’ (You should be ashamed of yourself. Today is Shab e Barat. Today even bad Muslims don’t commit sins. What obstinate, thick-skinned genes are you made of? Idiot.) Iqra Ahmed advised her, ‘yar khuda ka khauf kro kitni ghtya tareen lrki ho tm shab e barat ka koi tw lehaz kro’ (Friend, be afraid of God. Even the most fallen of women have some regard for Shab e Barat.)
Qandeel Baloch angered followers by posting on a Friday, a day auspicious to the Muslims, a picture [used on this page] of her skirt slipping upwards to reveal her legs.
Babuo Shah pleaded with her, ‘Oohoo mst aaj juma ka din hay is din 50thousand logo ko mafi multi hay ? Thora sharam karuo ak na ak din Allah ki pakar hogi phr koi nhn bachaya ga abhe bhe waqt hay’ (Madam, today is Friday. On this day fifty thousand people are forgiven. Have some sense of shame. One day you will be in No one will be able to …It is still not too late to repent.)
Tensions within Pakistan, to the effect that Qandeel was corrupting the society, found expression everywhere. Imtiaz Hussain wrote, ‘Is ko b shayad kisi ne chora ha pakistan par ak dum nangi hogai to sesor board band laga de ga ye slow poition de rahi ha takay pabandi na lagay rasta bana rahi ha industry k liye nayi larkiyon k liye’ (Someone has let her loose to descend totally naked on Pakistan. The censor board should ban her. She is administering the posion slowly so that restrictions are not imposed on her. She is blazing the path for a new breed of [similarly corrupted] girls to enter the [film] industry.)
Music video released a day after Edhi’s death Six days before her murder, on 9 July 2016, Qandeel posted her latest—and fairly raunchy—music video (see pictures). Pakistan’s greatest son, the philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, had died only the day before and the Ramzan fasts had ended three days before.
One Muneeza Khan used this to blast Qandeel, ‘Idher laug EidhiSab ki wafat ka saug mana rahe hain [Here people are mourning the demise of Edhi saheb] and this woman is showing off her body in this pathetic song. I dont hate u but what is the point of doing all this right after ramzan?’
A very large number of Facebook users agreed with Muneeza Khan’s views.
Tariq Ajmal added, ‘Theres a line between porn type musical videos and bollywood style dance stuff. What were they thinking? … And qandeel did whats expected. We need to stop this thinking that vulgarity and open mindness or educated thoughtfulness are the same. Even animals are covered with hair. And look at these two.’
With hindsight even we liberals wonder, ‘What were they thinking?’ Pakistan was clearly not ready for such a blatant display of female sexuality.
Taunting the Mufti (A Mufti is the highest-ranking Islamic cleric of a region; the head of the regional ifta, which provides guidance in matters of religion) Three weeks before her murder Qandeel created a video in which she sent a ‘poisonous message to the Mufti [Mufti ko Zehreela Peghaam] hahahhahahaha it will give u cancer lolzzz’
Through that coquettish video Qandeel, homorously, took on the religious establishment.
Eid ul Fitr (6 July 2016) Qandeel wished all her followers, ‘Eid Mubarak.’ However, she got a sermon in return.
Muhammad Fiaz said, ‘Eid mubarak to you. qandeel u should contact with your family also. it may they forgive u and u become a first model of our area.’
This showed that there were serious tensions within her family regarding her modelling and that they were not in contact with each other.
Thus spake Qandeel Baloch
The Express Tribune July 16, 2016
10 powerful quotes by Qandeel Baloch No matter how much we criticise her, QB, has played a role to bring a change in our society.
Until the news of her tragic death at the hands of her brother, Qandeel Baloch largely remained a punch line for many. She is now being posthumously honoured and remembered for her bravery in her attempt to shatter chauvinisms and achieve sexual liberty.
Often, her statements about Imran Khan, Shahid Afridi and Maulana Qavi were deemed controversial, her offer to strip in celebration of a sporting win and her revealing attire was considered vulgar and her question “how am looking?” truly became a social media sensation.
What’s important to remember is that she was liberated even though it came with a price.
Here are 10 empowering quotes by Qandeel Baloch:
1. “I am an inspiration to those ladies who are treated badly by society. I will keep on achieving and I know you will keep on hating.”
2. “No matter how many times I will be pushed down under but I am fighter I will bounce back. Qandeel Baloch is ‘One Women Army’.”
3. “At least international media can see how I am trying to change the typical orthodox mindset of people who don’t want to come out of their shells of false beliefs and old practices.”
4. “I want to give those girls a positive message who have been forcefully married, who continue to sacrifice.”
5. “I will fight for right. I will not give up. I will reach my goal and absolutely nothing will stop me.”
6. “Love me or hate me both are in my favour. If you love me I will always be in your heart and if you hate me I will be in your mind.”
7. “As a woman, we must stand up for ourselves. As a woman, we must stand up for each other.”
8. “If you have a strong will power, definitely, nothing can let you go down.”
9. “It’s time to bring a change because the world is changing. Let’s open our minds and live in present.”
10. “I am a modern day feminist. I believe in equality. I need not to choose what type of women should be. I don’t think there is any need to label ourselves just for sake of society.”
Rest in peace, Qandeel.
Nods to Islam
As we have seen on this page, Qandeel was quite unmindful of religious sensitivities even on auspicious days like Fridays and the Shab e Barat.
However, in the weeks leading to her controversial meeting with Mufti Qavi, ostensibly to learn about Islam, Qandeel had, indeed, started paying lip service—even drawing close—to Islam. A few weeks before the advent of the holy month of Ramzan she uploaded a poster [see picture] of herself, her head chastely covered. Its legend read, ‘Model and singer Qandeel Baloch will perform nemat khwani in the month of Ramzan ul Mubarak.’
Reactions ranged from the welcoming (‘at long last’) to disbelief.
Usama Bhatti wrote, ‘Behuda aurat door e rahy.. but han agr yh change hona chahti hai to phr lazmi kry or agr isny ramzan k bad yh beghairti phr se shuru krni to plz qandeel avoid this.. respect your religion.’ (Stay away, you vulgar woman. But, yes, if this woman wants to change then it is obligatory that she does not resume her impure activities after Ramzan.)
Malana Khan added, ‘Hahahaha may wait karungi tumhare muu se kuch to acha sunne ko milega 😍 hayeee naat parhogi tum MASHALLAH bari hogai ho samjhdar hogai ho 😍 😂’ (Hahahaha! I am going to wait for this! I will get to hear something nice! Awww, you will recite naats [poems in praise of Prophet Muhammad]! God is bounteous! The little girl has grown up and become wise)
Some attributed Qandeel’s turn towards religion to her supposed rejection by the Indian film industry. Hi Jaab [‘the chastely clad one’] commented, ‘Shyd to smjh gye hy k Bolly tery mizzaaaj ki cheez nhi hy.. Wahan pagal log nhi kam krty tu teri gunjaish nhi wahan..’ (You seem to have realised that the Indian film industry does not suit your temperament. The people who work there are mad. There is no room for you there.’
(There had been reports in Pakistan that Qandeel was to play the female lead opposite Indian kissing star Emran Hashmi in an Indian film. Pakistanis dread their women joining the relatively more sexualised Indian film industry and exposing their bodies to all and sundry, especially to Indians.)
Later that day, Qandeel posted a list of the important sayings of Prophets Muhammad, peace be on him (See picture).
Her followers welcomed this change in Qandeel. Nouman Zaheer wrote, ‘Hum in mokoo per zaror Dua kare gy k Allah apko insan bana dy Hadayat dy...Ameen’ (On such occasions we will pray that Allah gives you instructions [that will] make a human out of you.)
However, as Ramzan drew close to an end Qandeel’s new found religiosity did not ebb. She posted a message that basically said, ‘O Allah! Give us a pardon [absolution] after which we do not sin, instructions after which we do not go astray…’
This seeking of God’s pardon was welcomed by her followers.
However, fourteen days later Qandeel was killed.
Qandeel’s inclination towards religion in her last days seems to have been genuine. However, she clearly wanted her occasional spurts of religiosity to carry on side by side with the sexualised aspect of her life. She continued to blaspheme the Mufti and her raunchy video Ban was launched a few days after the end of Ramzan. The three above mentioned Islamic messages were interspersed with plenty of cleavage and skinshow by Qandeel.
Like most modern South Asians, she wanted to have it both ways.
The murder
Pakistan's social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch was killed allegedly by her brother in Multan in Punjab province, becoming the latest victim of "honour killings" that plague the country.
The 26-year-old actor-cum-model was killed in central district of Multan on Friday 15 July 2016 night, police said.
Police said apparently she was killed by her brother named Wasim, who has fled after the incident.
"She was suffocated to death by strangulation. It seems to be a case of honour killing but we are investigating it," district police chief Azhar Akram said.
Brother Waseem arrested
Pakistan Today reported
Police late on 16 July 2016 [less than a day after the murder] announced they had arrested Muhammad Waseem, the suspected murderer of social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch.
Waseem said that he had killed his sister for posting controversial pictures and videos on Facebook.
“She was bringing disrepute to our family’s honour and I could not tolerate it any further. I killed her around 11.30pm on Friday night when everyone else had gone to bed. My brother is not involved in the murder,” said the murderer before being taken away by the police.
Qandeel was in Multan to visit her parents as her father had been unwell, and spent Eid with her family.
Qandeel’s father Azeem stated in the First Information Report to the police that his sons Aslam Shaheen and Waseem were responsible for their sister’s death. The complainant further said that his sons killed Qandeel for her money.
