Qandeel Baloch murder case: Mufti Qavi's indictment deferred till April 9

MULTAN: The district and sessions court hearing the Qandeel Baloch murder case failed to indict the remaining suspects, including Mufti Qavi, today owing to the unavailability of the judge.

The accused in the case appeared in court today as they were expected to be indicted but the hearing was adjourned until April 9 owing to the judge's leave. 

Hearing the case on March 7, the judge had directed that Mufti Abdul Qavi, Aslam Shahid and Abdul Basit, the remaining accused, be provided copies of the charge-sheet so they could be indicted today.

The primary accused in the social media celebrity's murder, Baloch's brother Waseem and relative Haq Nawaz, were indicted in December 2016.

The judge had also separated the case of Baloch's other brother, Arif, after declaring him an absconder for being a no-show in the proceedings.

Mufti Qavi

The cleric was arrested in the case in October last year after a court rejected his bail. However, his bail was restored around a month later after he remained in police custody where he also gave a polygraph test.

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According to the police, Qavi, while in custody, said that the owner and driver of the vehicle which brought Qandeel's murder suspects — Waseem and Nawaz — from DG Khan to Multan and then brought them back is his cousin: Abdul Basit.

Moreover, Qavi, according to a senior police official, told police during investigation that the house in Multan's Muzaffarabad locality where Qandeel resided was owned by a close associate of his — Mohammad Nawaz.

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf had suspended Qavi’s membership of Ruet-e-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."

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Qandeel Baloch murder case

Fauzia Azeem, popularly known by her taken name Qandeel Baloch, shot to fame for her provocative selfies and videos that polarised Pakistan.

She was allegedly strangled on July 16, 2016, by her brother 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 the same day. Waseem, his cousin Nawaz and Basit were indicted in December 2016 and pleaded not guilty.

Prior to her death, Baloch, 26, spoke of worries about her safety and had appealed to the Interior Ministry to provide her with security.

In Facebook posts, she spoke of trying to change "the typical orthodox mindset" of people in Pakistan.