Muslim cleric pics model ‘killed by her brother for offending family honour’

A fashion model who stirred controversy by posting pictures of herself with a Muslim cleric on social media has been killed by her brother. Qandeel Baloch was said to have been attacked as she slept, apparently in retaliation for bringing shame on her family in deeply conservative Pakistan. She was strangled while she slept in her bed at the family home in Multan by her brother, Waseem, who then fled the scene, according to police. He had previously posted threatening messages to her Facebook account, it was alleged. Some reports suggested she had been shot.

The last I called her for an interview, she was crying on the phone

Geo TV journalist

The model, whose real name was Fouzia Azeem, courted controversy with her postings on social media, most recently pictures of herself with Mufti Qavi. In the pictures Qandeel could be seen posing, wearing his cap and she claimed they had drunk soft drinks and smoked cigarettes in daylight hours during Ramadam. Her former husband, Ashiq Hussain, also appeared on live TV to claim she was his wife and she had had a child with him. She later accepted her marriage and child citing that they had separated after an abusive relationship. Last week, she appeared at a press conference, saying her life was under threat and asking for police protection.

qandeel baloch