Cousin strangled Qandeel Baloch to death not brother: Polygraph test

Islamabad: Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch who was killed for bringing “shame” to the family by posting risque videos and posts on Facebook was strangled to death by her cousin and not by her brother, a polygraph test found on Saturday.

The main accused of the case Muhammad Waseem had earlier confessed that he had strangled his 26-year-old sister. However, the claim was rejected after a polygraph test of both the suspects.

According to the test, it was her cousin Haq Nawaz, not Waseem, who had strangled the social media star to death on July 15 this year. They said Waseem was holding the hands and feet of the slain model at the time of murder while Haq Nawaz strangled her, Geonews reported.

Before killing Qandeel, the suspects had drugged her and her parents, they added. Sources said video and written statements of both suspects have also been recorded. According to them, it was shown during investigation that the elder brother Arif, who resides in Saudi Arabia, had pressurised Waseem into killing their sister Qandeel for the “honour of the family”.

They said that after the conversation, Waseem and Haq Nawaz planned the model’s murder.

Prior to her death Qandeel, whose real name was Fauzia Azeem, spoke of worries about her safety and had appealed to the interior ministry to provide her with security for protection.

In Facebook posts, Baloch spoke of trying to change “the typical orthodox mindset” of people in Pakistan. She faced frequent abuse and death threats but continued to post provocative pictures and videos. The so-called ‘honour-killing’ has sent shockwaves across the country and triggered an outpouring of grief on social media for Baloch.

Pakistani police also recorded written statement of cleric Mufti Abdul Qavi who made headlines for appearing in a controversial video with the slain Pakistani model, on Saturday gave a written statement to police.

Qavi did not appear before police to record his statement for the ongoing investigation of the murder of model Qandeel Baloch. The investigation team then sent him a 14-point questionnaire.