Qandeel Baloch: Man jailed for drugging and strangling social media star sister in ‘honour killing’

The star known as ‘Pakistan’s Kim Kardashian’ was strangled to death by her brother in 2016

The brother of Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch has been jailed for life, three years after she was found dead.

Muhammad Wasim reportedly confessed to the murder of his sister and said she had “brought dishonour to the Baloch name” with her social media presence.

The 2016 killing ignited fierce debate in Pakistan over the prevalence of “honour killings” of women.

“Wasim has been given life in prison,” his lawyer, Sardar Mehboob, told Reuters after the verdict was delivered. He added he would file an appeal against the verdict.

Waseem admitted in a 2016 media conference organised by police that he strangled his 26-year-old sister due to her social media activities.

Six other people, including two of Baloch’s other brothers, were acquitted.

Baloch had posted risque Facebook posts in which she spoke of trying to change “the typical orthodox mindset” of people in Pakistan. She faced frequent misogynist abuse and death threats but continued to post provocative pictures and videos.

Baloch, whose real name was Fauzia Azeem, was described as Pakistan’s Kim Kardashian and had built a modelling career on the back of her social media fame, but drew ire from many in the conservative south Asian nation.

Her killing 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.

About 500 women are killed each year in Pakistan at the hands of family members over perceived damage to “honour” that can involve eloping, fraternizing with men or any other infraction against conservative values that govern women’s modesty.

Additional reporting by Reuters