Netizens and Pakistani celebrities including actor Osman Khalid Butt expressed their fury after Lahore High Court (LHC) acquitted the prime suspect and brother of Qandeel Baloch for murdering her.
In 2016, Muhammad Waseem was arrested after he confessed to killing Qandeel Baloch, 26, for posting what he called ‘scandalous’ pictures on social media. The case became Pakistan’s most high profile “honour killing” of recent years.
Soon after the disappointing news went viral, many – among celebrities – took to social media to reprimand the act of letting Waseem walk free.
“Qandeel Baloch’s murderer walks free today after serving less than six years of his life sentence. He is on record admitting to drugging and murdering his sister. Someone, please make this make sense to me,” tweeted the Ehd-e-Wafa actor.
Qandeel Baloch's murderer walks free today after serving less than six years of his life sentence.
He is on record admitting to drugging and murdering his sister.
Someone please make this make sense to me.— Osman Khalid Butt 🇵🇸 (@aClockworkObi) February 14, 2022
Also Read: Qandeel Baloch case: Mufti Qavi acquitted, brother got life imprisonment
Osman further expressed his shock over the court’s ruling and said: “This is not the first time sentences for heinous crimes have been reduced or overturned. Why do these loopholes still exist in our judicial system whereby murderers can eventually walk free?”
This is not the first time sentences for heinous crimes have been reduced or overturned.
Why do these loopholes still exist in our judicial system whereby murderers can eventually walk free?— Osman Khalid Butt 🇵🇸 (@aClockworkObi) February 14, 2022
Baloch’s killing sent shockwaves across the country and brought a storm of sorrow all over on social media, spurring the government to tighten laws dealing with men who would kill a close relative in the name of family honour.
Waseem was indicted of strangulating his sister in the name of honour. He was arrested in July 2016 and awarded life imprisonment on September 27, 2019.
Later, at a news conference, he had admitted to murdering his 26-year-old sister due to her social media activities.
