A Woman Like Her

by Sanam Maher

  The district prosecutor, Jam Salahuddin, initially claimed that the murder trial would be wrapped up within three months. But, over two years since hearings first began, another suspect came to the fore: Mufti Abdul Qavi.

  On 12 October 2017, a court in Multan issued an arrest warrant for Mufti Qavi after police officials claimed he was not co-operating with them. On 18 October, Mufti Qavi appeared in court for a hearing regarding bail but left before the verdict could be announced. He was arrested by police on the highway leading out of Multan. Mufti Qavi’s lawyer insisted that the cleric was simply on his way to a funeral at the time of his arrest. On 30 October Muhammad Azeem testified that Mufti Qavi had offered him money to retract his accusation that the mufti had ordered Qandeel’s murder.18 There were rumours that Mufti Qavi had transferred money to Qandeel’s brothers’ bank accounts in Dera Ghazi Khan before she was murdered.19 He has denied everything.

  In September 2018 Waseem applied for bail after his parents told the court they had forgiven him for Qandeel’s murder. His plea was rejected.

  In September 2019, more than three years after she was killed, the case of Qandeel Baloch’s murder was finally closed as the court sentenced Waseem to 25 years in prison. Five other suspects, including Mufti Qavi, were acquitted. As he left the courtroom, Mufti Qavi was showered with rose petals by his overjoyed supporters. “The prayers of my supporters have been met,” he said. “It is a day of justice, of victory.” But many were disappointed in this conclusion to an honour killing case that had received unprecedented attention and media coverage. Their anger was directed towards Mufti Qavi. “It is now proven that a mullah will always escape punishment irrespective of the crime,” tweeted journalist Mubashir Zaidi. “This verdict offers an empty, dissatisfying closure,” said another journalist, Amber Rahim Shamsi. “The lesson is that the powerful and influential…are never held responsible.”

  An amendment in the legislation regarding honour crimes enabled the court to sentence Waseem to life in prison. However, it will take more than legislative change to end the socially accepted practice of honour killings in Pakistan. Activists say that the law is toothless and mere lip service by the government to the cause of women’s rights. After all, as one critic asked, “Why did it take a documentary that won international acclaim to prod the prime minister’s conscience on this matter? Aren’t the hundreds of corpses each year enough?”20 Some see the amended legislation as an attempt by the government to portray itself as “pro-women” in order to attract more female voters in the general elections in 2018. While that ploy may fail, such “feminist policies,” noted one critic, “help garner the support of educated urban elites and project a good liberal face for the international community.”21

  Meanwhile honour killings continue. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan estimates that at least 524 such murders occurred between October 2016, when the amendment came into effect, and October 2017. According to one activist, the number might be significantly higher, as perpetrators may now be citing a motive other than honour in order to become eligible for the pardon that is still offered for other categories of murder.22

  Even in cases where the killer confesses to an honour crime, critics say that the possibility of the death penalty or life imprisonment is not enough to counter the fear of losing the respect of a tribe, community or family, thereby becoming a pariah. In March 2017 it was revealed that Saba, the subject of Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s Oscar-winning documentary, still feared for her life as her uncle “never forgot the dishonour she had brought on the family.”23 When her uncle reportedly saw a trailer for the documentary, Saba said, he came to her house at night and “started shooting from his pistol.”

  In some cases the victim’s family may be coerced to kill. In September 2017 a teenage couple who tried to elope were electrocuted to death by their families in Karachi after a council of elders in their parents’ village, hundreds of miles away, declared that the boy and girl had brought dishonour to the community and had to be killed.24 The families say they had no choice but to comply if they wished to remain a part of the community.

  While the new legislation reinforces the court’s ability to punish those found guilty of honour crimes even if they are pardoned by the victim’s family, some lawyers say that judges are hesitant to use the full force of the law. In some instances, judges’ remarks regarding honour crimes leave much to be desired. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan noted that 149 of the honour killings recorded between October 2016 and October 2017 took place because of the victim’s “marriage choice.” In February 2017 a Sindh high court judge, when presented with a couple pleading for police protection from their families after they had married according to their own wishes, scolded them. If “love marriages don’t succeed in films, then how will they succeed in real life?” the judge asked. He further noted, “Those who contract love marriage come in the court after some time for divorce.”25

  Well over a year after she made her last video or uploaded her last photograph, people are still talking about what Qandeel did. In a message on Facebook the day before she was killed, Qandeel seemed to reach out to women. “As a women [sic] we must stand up for ourselves,” she wrote. “As a women [sic] we must stand up for each other…As a women [sic] we must stand up for justice.” In the last interview before her death Qandeel spoke for the first time about this kind of feminism. “I don’t know how many girls have felt support through my persona,” she said. “I’m a girl power. So many girls tell me I’m a girl power, and yes, I am.” These words may have been ignored had Qandeel lived. Today they serve as a rallying point for those who defend her choices. In death, she has been adopted and praised by women who enjoy the security she craved and hoped to attain with enough money, enough fame.

  A BBC documentary released shortly after her death was watched more than two million times on YouTube. No longer did a reporter have to convince an editor that Qandeel’s story was worth covering—the news of her death and interviews with her parents featured as a top story on the BBC’s nightly news when she was killed. The year 2017 kicked off with Qandeel’s inclusion in the annual vote for “Person of the Year” run by the prestigious Pakistan English-language magazine Herald. When the votes were tallied, Qandeel had come second, surpassed only by the former army chief, Raheel Sharif. Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy announced that her next documentary would be on Qandeel, and a short video about her, narrated by Madonna, was released online.26 On the anniversary of Qandeel’s death in July 2017 Pakistani actress Saba Qamar confirmed that she would be playing the role of Qandeel in a TV series about the social media star’s life. Qamar reportedly received death threats for taking on the project, and when the Express Tribune ran a trailer for the new series on its Facebook page, it was flooded with hateful comments. “Like Qandeel’s murder, Saba Qamar should also be murdered in the same way,” one male commenter wrote, while another called Qandeel and Qamar “strippers and prostitutes.”27

  Qandeel is no longer “Pakistan’s Kim Kardashian”—if anything, the women who walk in her steps, who aspire to the kind of fame she found, like Bushi, the model I met in Islamabad, want to be Pakistan’s next Qandeel Baloch.

  When Qandeel was buried, her mother covered her hands and feet in henna and kissed them before covering her in a white shroud—a local tradition that shows everyone that the woman being buried was a martyr. She died for some cause and died with honour. “When Qandeel’s name is mentioned now, it is not as ‘Qandeel the escort’ or ‘Qandeel the prostitute,’ ” her friend Jalal says. “It might be ‘Qandeel the victim of honour killing,’ but isn’t that better? I hope that brings her peace.” After all, he asked me, for a girl from a small village in Punjab that not many people had heard of, what could be better?

  On 24 July 2016 Qandeel’s Facebook page was taken down. It went back up a few days later, but many of her posts—the video from Valentine’s Day, the trailer for her striptease—had been scrubbed. It do
esn’t matter. The videos and her photographs have been copied and shared on multiple social media platforms, blogs and websites too many times to count. They cannot be erased.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thank you…

  Mustafa, for your unwavering belief in this work from the time that it was just the sense of a possible story. For never losing sight of how I hoped to tell that story even when I seemed to forget.

  My sisters Mahim, Emma, Zairah and Shehrezad, for your encouragement, for your understanding when I could only think and talk about one woman for months on end.

  Niaz Lashari, for working so hard to help me land all the interviews I needed at breakneck speed, for doing more than you signed on to do because you are the best kind of reporter: curious, diligent and comfortable getting into trouble.

  Ramzaan, for being a wonderful travel companion and guide across Punjab. I’m very grateful to Dr Farzana Firoz for introducing us.

  The team at the Daily Ibrat, particularly Mukhtiar Burfat and editor Jai Prakash, for their assistance in Jamshoro and Hyderabad.

  Sadaf Sultan Khan and Tooba Masood, for listening to all my stories, for helping me sift through them and for always cheering on this project.

  Fatima Bhutto, for being a kind, thoughtful first reader and for your generous spirit.

  While I was on the road, I was lucky to find a home to go to at the end of every day. I’m particularly grateful to Dr Bilal and Sarah Ahsan and their daughters for making me a part of their family in Multan. In Lahore I’m thankful to Najma Rahman, Faizan and Fauzia. In Islamabad, my thanks to Sabah and Rahim for being such gracious hosts.

  Simar Puneet, for carrying Qandeel with you as I did for all this time, for your friendship and your patience.

  Athena Bryan, for your guidance, for steering the work in the right direction. I’m grateful that this book has found a home with Melville House Publishing.

  I’m so glad this book made its way to John Ash at Pew Literary. Thank you for keeping it real and telling me true, terrible things.

  NOTES

  THE BALOCH FAMILY

  1 Gishkori, Zahid. “After Qandeel.” News on Sunday, 2 October 2016.

  2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co6RamOxDa4

  3 Gishkori, “After Qandeel.”

  4 Birmani, Tariq Saeed. “Troubling times for Qandeel Baloch’s parents.” Dawn, 4 October 2016.

  “HOW I’M LOOKING?”

  1 Hasan, Mehreen. “High and low notes.” News on Sunday, 15 December 2013.

  THE BLUE-EYED CHAIWALA

  1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtiLiNkCUME

  2 “Pakistani ‘chai wala’ turns model after finding fame.” BBC, 19 October 2016, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37704029.

  3 Sheikh, Imaan. “This hot Pakistani chaiwala is now a worldwide sensation and has a modelling contract.” Buzzfeed, 19 October 2016.

  4 Web Desk, “10 people Pakistanis were ‘most obsessed’ with in 2015.” Express Tribune, 17 December 2015.

  5 “Over 44 million social media accounts in Pakistan.” GeoTV, 15 February 2017.

  6 Malik, Mehreen Zahra. “Female lawmaker in Pakistan accuses Imran Khan of ‘inappropriate’ texts. Abuse follows.” New York Times, 5 August 2017.

  7 Nauman, Qasim. “See the ‘cringe-pop’ music video from Pakistan taking the internet by storm.” Wall Street Journal, 13 April 2016.

  8 Ryan Broderick and Imaan Sheikh. “This guy’s breakup message to his friend accidentally went viral and it’s amazing.” Buzzfeed, 17 September 2015.

  9 Verma, Anurag. “This Pakistani barber sets his customers’ heads on fire and no one complains.” Huffpost India, 19 January 2017.

  10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi1HKPtFa6E

  11 “Shocking: ‘Chaiwala’ Arshad Khan quits showbiz.” Express Tribune, 4 January 2017.

  12 Staff Desk Report, “10 notable quotes that defined Pakistan’s entertainment scene in 2015.” Images, 28 December 2015.

  13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTiwGvsRmWw&t=174s

  14 Ovais Jafar and Asif Bashir Chaudhary.“‘Chaiwala’ Arshad Khan belongs to Afghanistan, says NADRA.” GeoTV, 11 July 2017.

  “GUYS, WHO WANT TO WATCH MY NEXT NASTY CLIP?”

  1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN-kxThICRU

  2 Agence France-Presse. “Girls tell me I’m their inspiration.” Dawn, 26 February 2016.

  3 Pakistan Press International. “Karachi: Valentine’s Day activities disallowed.” Dawn, 15 February 2002.

  4 Agence France-Presse. “PEMRA cautions TV, radio stations over Valentine’s Day broadcasts.” Express Tribune, 13 February 2013.

  5 Nazish, Kiran. “Love and politics: Valentine’s Day in Pakistan.” Foreign Policy, 26 February 2016.

  6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c7zbjWdfZ4

  7 Ahmed, Imtiaz. “Meet Pakistan’s hot new internet sensation: Qandeel Baloch,” Hindustan Times, 24 March 2016.

  8 Trivedi, Hiten J. “Pakistani model to strip naked if Pak defeats India?” Times of India, 28 January 2017.

  9 https://www.facebook.com/IamMubasherLucman/videos/229187770768989/

  10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcLpHRoGAL4

  11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0z4Flpl6CM. This video is no longer available.

  THE HELPLINE

  1 Reuters. “Online harassment of Pakistani women turns into real-world violence.” Dawn, 30 September 2014.

  2 “The threats and abuse outspoken Pakistani women receive.” BBC, 19 July 2016, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36824514.

  3 http://www.ispak.pk/Downloads/MoITStudyonBroadbandPenetration.pdf. This URL no longer exists.

  4 Internet Usage in Asia, Internet World Stats, http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats3.htm#asia, accessed 27 February 2018.

  5 “The rise of mobile and social media use in Pakistan.” Dawn, 10 April 2015.

  6 Imran, Myra. “Only 5.8% judges in Pakistan are women: HRCP.” The News International, 5 March 2016.

  7 “Pakistan blocks blogs on cartoons.” BBC, 3 March 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4771846.stm.

  8 Zakaria, Rafia. “The web and women’s harassment.” Dawn, 12 October 2016.

  9 “Online harassment of Pakistani women.” Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-women-internet/online-abuse-of-women-in-pakistan-turns-into-real-world-violence-idUSKCN0HP0Q620140930.

  10 Jahanzaib Haque and Omer Bashir. “Banned outfits in Pakistan operate openly on Facebook.” Dawn, 14 September 2017.

  11 Bukhari, Mubasher. “Pakistan sentences man to death for blasphemy on Facebook.” Reuters, 11 June 2017.

  12 News Desk. “Cyber crime: ‘PTI social media activist in FIA custody.’ ” Express Tribune, 17 May 2017.

  13 Sune Engel Rasmussen and Waqar Gillani. “Pakistan: man sentenced to death for blasphemy on Facebook.” Guardian, 11 June 2017.

  14 Correspondent, “Man arrested on blasphemy charge.” Dawn, 19 September 2016.

  15 Gazette of Pakistan, Islamabad, 22 August 2006.

  16 http://dailytimes.com.pk/punjab/07-May-17/lack-of-staff-keeps-fiafrom-clearing-cyber-cases-backlog This URL no longer exists.

  1 Rehma, Maliha. “Who’s the boss? Veena for sure.” News on Sunday, 2 January 2011.

  2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FJQG0iG8v8

  3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROlR9YAdjPQ. This URL no longer exists.

  4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WngTpgrLyas

  5 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4ho8zc

  6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQLjHEgrrrI

  7 “Mufti Qavi denies association with any suspect.” News International, 1 August 2016.

  “I’M TELLING YOU THAT MY LIFE IS IN DANGER”

  1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuyTR40OBvs

  2 News Des
k, “Qandeel Baloch’s ex-husband comes forward with startling claims.” Express Tribune, 13 July 2016.

  3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uePGv93RvkE

  THE MEDIA AND THE MURDER

  1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQtm5n1acoA

  2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-XzzE5iv_M&t=68s

  3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MuiOHjNWCs

  4 Shah Sadar Din retains the status of a “village” in official records and informally among its residents, even as its population has grown to what we would call a “town.” The village remains without much of a town’s basic infrastructure and services to cater to that increased population.

  5 “Statement showing the number of Pakistanis proceeded abroad for employment registered by bureau of emigration and overseas employment during the years 1981–2017.” Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment, Government of Pakistan, http://www.beoe.gov.pk/files/statistics/2017/district.pdf, accessed 27 February 2018.

  6 “Report and recommendation of the president to the board of directors on a proposed loan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for the Dera Ghazi Khan Rural Development Project.” Asian Development Bank, August 1997.

  7 Usman, Maryam. “Monetary deprivation: Experts term poverty lack of fundamental freedoms.” Express Tribune, 7 October 2016.

  8 Sabrina Tavernise, Richard A. Oppel, Junior, and Eric Schmitt, “United militants threaten Pakistan’s populous heart,” New York Times, 13 April 2009.

  9 Correspondent, “Inhuman treatment: South Punjab tops the list in domestic violence cases.” Express Tribune, 14 February 2017.

  10 “Man dies after his limbs chopped off for ‘honour’ in DG Khan.” Dawn, 19 July 2016.

  11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBVTIVq5HEY