Mufti Qavi complains of chest pain after being sent on remand

MULTAN: Mufti Abdul Qavi complained of chest pain and was admitted to a Multan hospital on Thursday, hours after he was remanded into police custody in the murder case of Pakistani social media sensation Qandeel Baloch.

Earlier on Thursday, a sessions court, hearing the model and social media icon's murder case, remanded the accused into police custody. He was arrested a day ago, after the court dismissed his bail plea and ordered police to arrest him for failing to cooperate with the prosecution.

Speaking to Geo News within the court premises on Wednesday, Qavi had said that he had nothing to do with the murder and "the judge is also aware of that". He, however, had said that he would accept the court’s decision.

Police said they shifted the accused to hospital as soon as he complained of chest pain. The cleric was taken to emergency ward of Multan Institute of Cardiology on Thursday evening.

Medics found his blood pressure higher and heartbeat faster than normal, said Director Cardiology Rana Altaf. He was immediately admitted to the hospital and has since undergone necessary tests.

The accused has had a medical history and two stent placements.

According to physicians, Mufti Qavi has been kept under observation at the hospital.

Qandeel murder case: Mufti Qavi remanded into police custody for four days

Mufti Abdul Qavi was arrested from the Punjab Highway on Wednesday

The murder

Qandeel Baloch, who shot to fame for her "bold" selfies that polarised Pakistan, was allegedly strangled in July 2016 by her brother Muhammad Waseem.

In his confession, Waseem claimed she had brought shame on the family and owned up to his crime in a press conference after his arrest.

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

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf suspended Mufti Abdul Qavi’s membership of Ruet-i-Hilal Committee after Baloch released pictures of herself with the cleric in a hotel room weeks before her murder, wearing his hat and pouting.

She had accused him of inappropriate behaviour.

"I thought I would expose him as he is in reality," she told AFP at the time, adding: "He is a different person alone and different when he has his followers around him."

She had faced frequent abuse and death threats.

The so-called 'honour-killing' had sent shockwaves across the country and triggered an outpouring of grief on social media for Baloch.