Baloch’s raunchy social media photos challenged social norms in Pakistan, a deeply conservative Muslim country where women are often repressed by their family or the community.
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Reports say police are searching for her brother, who is now on the run.
“Apparently the lady died of suffocation but final opinion on her death would be possible only after report of chemical examination comes”, said Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed, who was among the team that conducted Baloch’s autopsy.
Qandeel Baloch had recently taken the internet by storm as she shared a couple of selfies and a video of herself with Mufti Qawi, a former member of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. “The kind of torture he has inflicted on me, you can’t even imagine”, she said, adding that he “tried to throw acid” on her.
A recent BBC radio piece described Baloch as Pakistan’s “provocatrice extraordinaire”.
She posted a video to her Facebook page on Friday, which examined her approach to “twerking”. It aired before she was killed.
Three weeks ago, Baloch had a written request to the interior minister, the director general of the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) and the senior superintendent of Islamabad requesting them to provide her security and also requested action against those who made her identification documents public via social media. “While a lot of feminists here are dismissive of her, some see her as daring”.
She found fame and slipped into the national consciousness after declaring that she would perform a live strip tease online if Pakistan won a cricket match against arch rival India.
Earlier this month, Baloch sought protection from government, saying she was receiving anonymous death threats. Pakistan’s Express Tribune reported earlier this month that the Interior Ministry did not respond to her requests, and that she planned to move overseas for her security.
Hundreds of women are murdered, often by relatives, for “honour” every year in Pakistan.
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On July 14, she posted the following: “As a women we must stand up for ourselves.As a women we must stand up for each other.As a women we must stand up for justice”.
