Parents of murdered Pakistan social media star Qandeel Baloch pardon sons, want case to end

Qandeel Baloch was allegedly murdered by her brother Waseem who is said to have confessed later and claim that he had committed the crime to protect the 'honour' of his family.

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Parents of Qandeel Baloch, a Pakistani social media star who was allegedly murdered by her own brothers, have announced that they have pardoned their sons for the act. They have also appealed for the murder case against the two to be dropped.

Baloch was allegedly murdered by her brother Waseem in 2016 to protect their family's 'honour.' The murder sent shockwaves in Pakistan and around the world. It was later reported that Waseem had confessed to killing Baloch by strangulating her because she had brought 'dishonour' to their family through her videos and statements online. Dawn reported on Wednesday that the parents had forgiven Waseem for the crime and their other son - Aslam - who too was named as an accused. They submitted an affidavit in a Multan court stating that while they have forgiven their two sons, the court must now set them free.

The same affidavit also refers to a law which states that murderers cannot be acquitted even if they have been pardoned by the family of the victim, stating that this law was enacted several months after Baloch was murdered and therefore not applicable in this case.

This is not the first time that Baloch's parents have sought to have their two sons freed. Their first attempt had been struck down by the courts which had cited the country's anti-honour killing law.