Arrest warrants issued for Mufti Abdul Qavi in Qandeel Baloch murder case

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MULTAN: A judicial magistrate in Multan issued on Thursday arrest warrants for Mufti Abdul Qavi in the Qandeel Baloch murder case.

Judicial magistrate Mohammad Pervez issued the warrants after investigation officer Noor Akbar requested the court to do so on the grounds that the cleric is not cooperating with the police.

However, when approached by media, Qavi said he is always present in his madrassa and is available for any cooperation.  He added that he has obtained interim bail and therefore cannot be arrested.

The cleric was nominated in the murder case and his name was mentioned in the FIR [First Information Report] on the application of Qandeel’s father.

The cleric’s membership from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was suspended due to the controversy surrounding the selfies he posed for with Qandeel Baloch. He was also suspended from the Ruet-e-Hilal committee due to the same reason.

Earlier on Tuesday, the investigation officer probing the murder of Qandeel was dismissed for not submitting the charge-sheet after passing of 15 months’ time.

Four investigation officers have been changed in the Qandeel Baloch murder case.

Model Qandeel Baloch, who rose to fame for her provocative selfies that polarised Pakistan, was strangled in July by her brother Muhammad Waseem for “bringing shame on the family”. He had confessed to his crime in a press conference after his arrest.

Prior to her death, Baloch, whose real name was Fauzia Azeem, was concerned about her safety and had appealed to the Interior Ministry to provide her with security.

No security was provided and the Interior Ministry has not commented on her death.

Baloch, 26, in Facebook posts, spoke of trying to change “the typical orthodox mindset” of people in Pakistan. She frequently faced abuse and death threats but continued to post provocative pictures and videos.

The ‘honour-killing’ of Qandeel Baloch had sent shockwaves across the country and triggered an outpouring of grief on social media for her.