Title: LHC acquits main accused in Qandeel Baloch murder
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The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday acquitted Muhammad Waseem, the man sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of social media starlet Qandeel Baloch, nearly six years after her brutal killing that shocked the nation.
Qandeel – born Fouzia Azeem – was found strangled to death in her house in Multan’s Karimabad area on July 16, 2016. Her father had accused Waseem of the murder, who admitted in a 2016 media conference that he strangled his 26-year-old sister due to her social media activities.
The case was heard today by the Multan bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Waseem's plea for the annulment of his sentence, Express News reported.
The acquittal was made following the issuance of a raazi nama (certificate of consent) as witnesses in the case backtracked from their stance.
Also read: Qandeel Baloch's family forced out of home due to poverty
The mother of the accused submitted a signed affidavit with Justice Sohail Awar, saying the petitioner in the case, the father of the accused had died, and that there was no one at home to look after her.
She further pointed to the fact that the witnesses in the case had backtracked from their stance on the incident.
In September 2019, a court in Multan had subsequently found Waseem guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
In the 38-page verdict, Judge Imran Shafi acquitted five other people, including another of Qandeel's other brothers, Aslam Shaheen, and Mufti Abdul Qavi, a cleric who remained a central figure in the murder investigation.
Qandeel's killing had sent shockwaves across Pakistan and triggered an outpouring of grief on social media, and prompted the government to tighten laws to ensure that killers could not walk free if family members forgave them.
Published Date: 14-Feb-2022
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