THE SENSATIONAL LIFE & DEATH OF QANDEEL BALOCH (HB)

?Qandeel was a marvelous
blaze. She set our dark world on fire and made enough light to expose the
hypocrisies of Pakistan?s pious patriarchy. In Sanam Maher?s terrific and
necessary book, those flames burn brighter than ever.? ?Bilal Tanweer ?A
powerful and deeply moving account from an important new voice in
non-fiction.? ?Sonia Faleiro Bold?, ?Shameless?, ?Siren? were just some of
the (kinder) words used to describe Qandeel Baloch. She embraced these labels
and played the coquette, yet dished out biting critiques of some of
Pakistan?s most holy cows. Pakistanis snickered at her fake American accent,
but marveled at her gumption. She was the stuff of a hundred memes and
Pakistan?s first celebrity-by-social media. Qandeel first captured the
nation?s attention on Pakistan Idol with a failed audition and tearful
outburst. But it was in February 2016, when she uploaded a Facebook video
mocking a presidential ?warning? not to celebrate Valentine?s Day, that she
went ?viral?. In the video, which racked up nearly a million views, she lies
in bed, in a low-cut red dress, and says in broken English, ?They can stop to
people go out?but they can?t stop to people love.? The video shows us
everything that Pakistanis loved?and loved to hate?about Qandeel, ?Pakistan?s
Kim Kardashian?. Five months later, she would be dead. In July 2016,
Qandeel?s brother would strangle her in their family home, in what was
described as an ?honour killing??a punishment for the ?shame? her online
behavior had brought to the family. Scores of young women and men are killed
in the name of honour every year in Pakistan. Many cases are never reported,
and of the ones that are, murderers are often ?forgiven? by the surviving
family members and do not face charges. However, just six days after
Qandeel?s death, the Anti-Honour Killings Laws Bill was fast-tracked in
parliament, and in October 2016, the loophole allowing families to pardon
perpetrators of ?honour killings? was closed. What spurred the change? Was it
the murder of Qandeel Baloch? And how did she come to represent the clash
between rigid conservatism and a secular, liberal vision for Pakistan?
Through dozens of interviews?with aspiring models, managers, university
students, activists, lawyers, police officers and journalists, among
them?Sanam Maher gives us a portrait of a woman and a nation.