LAHORE: A First Information Report (FIR) registered against the nominated killers of social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch was transformed into a non-compoundable FIR on Monday, police said, making it impossible for Qandeel's family to pardon her killers.
A senior police officer investigating the case told Dawn that Sections 311 and 305 of the Pakistan Penal Code had been added to the FIR.
Advocate Balak Shair Khosa, while talking to Dawn, said the addition of these sections was a welcome step.
“There cannot be an agreement [after this]. These sections were created to end karo-kari. Now that they have added them to the FIR, the victim's family cannot forgive the killers as the state has become a complainant. It will be taken as a murder against the state.”
Section 305, maintains the wali will be the heirs of the victim, but will exclude the accused or convict in case of qatl-i-amd (wilful murder) if committed in the name or on the pretext of honour.
Section 311 refers to the legal proceedings following the waiver or the compounding of right of qisas in wilful murder.
“Notwithstanding anything contained in Section 309 or Section 310... the Court may, having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, punish an offender against whom the right of qisas has been waived or compounded with death, or imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for a term of which may extend to fourteen years as ta'zir,” reads Section 311.
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Qandeel, who was a model and an actress, was strangled to death in her house in Multan's Karimabad area in the early hours of Saturday. Her father claimed that she was killed by her younger brother, Waseem, in the name of honour.
Waseem, accompanied by police, confessed in a press conference that he had drugged and strangled his sister, adding that the motive behind the murder was that “she brought dishonour to the Baloch name” due to risque videos and statements that she posted on social media.
Mufti Qavi investigated for Qandeel’s murder
Mufti Qavi, who was censured for appearing in “selfie” photographs with Qandeel, is being investigated in connection with her killing, police said on Monday.
Police said Qavi, who was suspended from Ruet-i-Hilal Committee after the photographs were published, was also part of their investigation into her murder.
“We have decided to widen the scope of the investigation and include Mufti Abdul Qavi in the probe,” Azhar Ikram, the police chief in the town of Multan, where Baloch was killed, told Reuters.
Qavi has denied any involvement in Baloch's murder but told Reuters on Monday he would present himself to police for questioning if summoned.
Police were also investigating Baloch's other brother, Mohammad Aslam, who is a junior army officer, Ikram said.
After Baloch's death her father, Mohammad Azeem, filed a police report against both his sons, alleging Aslam had encouraged Waseem to carry out the killing.
Police have declined to comment on Aslam's role and he was not available for comment on Monday.
