MULTAN: Mufti Qawi claimed to have pardoned model Qandeel Baloch after she text messaged him an apology.
“I am thankful to Qandeel and forgive her on committing sins of defaming me. She has offered a proper apology. I have pardoned her,” Mufti Abdul Qawi told journalists at a press briefing held on Thursday.
The cleric refuted Qandeel Baloch's claim that he was not fasting when she came to meet him. He added that the issue was misreported.
“I wish to see her again in my life because she is a great lady after she offered apology for her acts”, he said. The Mufti provided photostat copy of text messages sent by Qandeel on his mobile phone.
The copies of text revealed the first message received on June 22 at 9:06pm. The text says: “I’m sorry Mufti Sahib, Mujhy ap k bura hva aisa nahi hona chaye tha, jo kxh bhi hva”
Message Body
22.6.2016: 9:7pm
Sab Meri Galti Hy (It was my fault)
22.6.2016 9:7pm
Ho saky to maaf kr dena (Could you forgive me?)
22.6.2016 9:7pm
Ap k sath jw bhi hva theek Nhi hva. I’m really sorry. (Whatever happened to you was bad)
22.6.2016 9:8pm
Maf krny waly ka dil bada hota hy (Forgiveness is a great job).
Qawi said he respected Qandeel Baloch for three reasons; she was his guest, she belongs to Multan, and she speaks Seraiki. To a query on Qandeel Baloch’s claim of receiving life threats, he said he had not asked anyone to send her life threats.
About his exchange of cap with Qandeel Baloch, he said a large number of people were present when she came to meet him. He went to the toilet for a while and Qandeel Baloch wore his cap in his absence. She said she was wearing his cap as she did not have a dupatta, Mufti Qawi said.
Speaking to Geo News, the model denied having extended an apology. She said she felt sorry for him on his loss of position in Ruet-e-Hilal Committee and called him to express her feelings, but he did not take the call so she sent him an SMS. She accused the cleric of being a hoax. "I am proud that I was able to show his real face to the world," she said.
Pictures of the cleric and Qandeel Baloch stirred a storm on social media and eventually resulted in Mufti Qawi's suspension from the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
In the pictures Qandeel was seen posing with the cleric's cap. Later Qandeel had accused the cleric of inviting her to his place. "He had told me during a TV program that he would like to lay his eyes on my face before witnessing the moon of Ramazan,” she said.
Mufti Qawi on the other hand had said that Qandeel had visited him to get rid of a magic spell.