Qandeel Baloch laid to rest in ancestral village in Dera Ghazi Khan

Qandeel Baloch, one of Pakistan’s most famous and controversial social media stars, has been strangled to death in what police are calling a case of so called “honor” killing in the city of Multan in the country’s province of Punjab. He has already confessed to her murder, according to The Dawn newspaper admitting he drugged poor Qandeel and strangled her for “dishonoring the Baloch name”. He continued that “it was around 10.45 pm when I gave her a tablet… and then killed her”, adding that he acted alone.

Baloch, who called herself a modern day feminist, was described as Pakistan’s Kim Kardashian and built a modeling career on the back of her social media fame. She had also received warnings and threats from her six brothers, who told her to stop modeling and posting on social media.

Baloch’s death has prompted a wave of shock and revulsion in a country where hundreds of women are murdered for “honour” every year.

Urging Pakistani men to learn to tolerate independent and assertive women, the Miss Pakistan World said: “Pakistani men should know that the world is changing and more and more women are in control of their life”.

“Her murder…must serve as an impetus for legislators to renew demands for legislation to protect women who are threatened under false notions of ‘honor'”.

As we told you, on July 16 Qandeel’s body was found unresponsive and her brother Waseem Baloch was on the run.

A vigil held late on Saturday in Lahore was attended by dozens of mourners, while an online petition entitled “No Country for Bold Women” and demanding accountability over Baloch’s death had gained more than than 1,600 signatures on Sunday. One video shows her sitting on the cleric’s lap.

“Wasim confessed to his crime, saying he killed his sister for honour after her recent objectionable videos, mostly posted on Facebook“.

Her videos were not very different from thousands others shared by 20-something social media celebrities around the Internet. “I hope the women of Pakistan will unite to make a collective statement against honour killings”.

“As women we must stand up for ourselves”. Following that she had requested security from the interior ministry which she was denied.