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The dishonourable killing of Qandeel Baloch
Gender is in your head. A year-old transgender activist, she is currently enjoying a breakthrough turn as a model who can carry off a sari while calling out Pakistanis for transphobia. Pakistan may seem like an unlikely place for transgender activism. But in south Asia, the khawaja sira community known as hijras , an organised group of trans people, have long been part of society and local culture. Over the years, however, khawaja siras have been relegated to a low-income group with few opportunities for employment or social advancement. Even so, harassment and discrimination remains prevalent. Khawaja siras are pushed into panhandling or prostitution, or forced to dance or sing for money; members of the trans community are stereotyped as effeminate people working in beauty salons. There have also been several murders in recent years. Are you first or second?
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A formal investigation had already been launched against Waseem Azeem, 25, who told a press conference on Saturday that he drugged his sister Qandeel Baloch and strangled her while she was sleeping. There has been widespread support for Waseem on social media with many Pakistanis sharing his anger towards Baloch, whose real name was Fauzia Azeem, and who had become famous with risque Facebook videos and selfies. Baloch, 26, once promised to strip on camera if the national team won a cricket tournament. Her unabashed breaking of taboos in a religiously conservative country made her a hero to some. Tahira Abdullah, a rights activist, questioned the police move to become a complainant, saying the law needed to be entirely reformed to ban the tradition of effectively dropping murder charges, which often involves the payment of blood money. Critics say it has helped encourage the practice of killing women and girls who were thought to have dishonoured their families, often for getting married without their permission. The Aurat Foundation rights group claims that 1, women a year were killed. In February the Pakistani prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, vowed to reform the law after a documentary about honour killing was nominated for an Oscar , but no action has yet been taken. Facebook Twitter Pinterest. Topics Pakistan.
The following is a list of notable British Pakistanis , namely notable citizens or residents of the United Kingdom whose ethnic origins lie in Pakistan :. Aquib Afzaal — left-handed batsman who bowls right-arm off break []. Kamran Afzaal — Pakistani-born English cricketer; right-handed batsman []. Usman Afzaal — cricketer who has played three Test matches for England []. Ajaz Akhtar — former Pakistani people-born English cricketer []. Mohammad Akhtar — Pakistani-born English cricketer; right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm off break []. Kabir Ali — English cricketer; formerly played for Worcestershire []. Kadeer Ali — cricketer formerly playing for Worcestershire and is related to Kabir Ali []. Rehan Alikhan — English-born former cricketer of Pakistani descent; right-handed batsman and off-break bowler []. Asim Butt — Scottish and Pakistani cricketer; primarily a left-arm medium fast bowler [] - Aamir Farooque — former Pakistani-born English cricketer [].
