Qandeel Baloch murder case: Mufti Qavi appears before court

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MULTAN: Mufti Abdul Qavi on Tuesday appeared before a judicial magistrate following the issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants on Thursday against him in the Qandeel Baloch murder case.

The cleric appeared before Sessions Judge Chaudhry Ameer Muhammed without a legal counsel.

The court asked him to appear again on Wednesday with legal representation, after which the hearing was adjourned for the day.

Following his appearance before the court, Qavi told journalists that he appeared today, will appear tomorrow and will continue to cooperate with the police and the courts.

Other accused in the case, Haq Nawaz and Qandeel’s brother Muhammed Waseem were expected to be presented before the judge on Tuesday.

Earlier, a judicial magistrate in Multan issued arrest warrants for Mufti Abdul Qavi 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.

Qavi’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.

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.