Remembering Qandeel Baloch on 27th birthday
While many are conveniently choosing to forget her, I am remembering and honouring her today.
March 1 marks the birthday of one of the most talked-about figures in Pakistan’s recent history, Qandeel Baloch, who would have turned 27 today. Murdered by her own brother in the name of “honour” last year, Qandeel was a voice of resistance who consistently exposed social ills and the hypocrisy embedded in society.
While many are conveniently choosing to forget her, I am remembering and honouring her today. Today, we are not going to debate her fate in the afterlife or judge whether what she did was right or wrong. Instead, we are simply remembering her the way she wanted to be remembered.
Bold, outspoken, and ambitious, Qandeel made a name for herself by harnessing the power of social media. She was one of the most polarising celebrities in Pakistan, with nearly every post attracting intense scrutiny, harassment, and abuse. Yet this complicated relationship with the public also brought her into the mainstream spotlight—often at the cost of her privacy—which, according to many, played a role in the circumstances leading to her brutal murder.
Coming from a disadvantaged background, Qandeel never had it easy. She worked relentlessly to claim her space and visibility. One of her most passionately pursued dreams was to appear on the Indian reality show Bigg Boss, a goal she openly spoke about multiple times on her social media platforms.
Qandeel explored acting, modelling, and even singing. While critics argued that it would take years for her to master any of these fields, her presence was undeniable. Her confidence and fearlessness made her impossible to ignore, earning her frequent appearances on mainstream television talk shows.
Even today, many continue to dismiss her as a joke. But for those who recognised her courage and her willingness to confront society’s double standards, Qandeel Baloch lives on as a symbol of defiance and self-expression.
Archival note: This post was originally published on the now-defunct blog guppu.com. It is being republished here solely for archival and record-keeping purposes.