Pakistani social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch has been killed by her brother in an apparent act of honor killing in the province of Punjab. In recent years, cases of women being killed for dishonouring their family have become prevalent in Pakistan.

Twenty-six-year-old Qandeel Baloch caused controversy by posting provocative pictures of herself on social media, including one with her alongside a Muslim cleric. The cleric was Mufti Abdul Qavi, who was suspended from his role in the Eid 'moon-sighting' committee after the photos went public.

Qandeel had reportedly been receiving threats from her brother regarding her pictures and videos on Facebook. She had asked for security three weeks ago, a demand that was not fulfilled by authorities.

Police say Qandeel was strangled to death, following which her brother fled.

"One of her brothers named Waseem came over for the night, and he’s missing since the morning, and we have deployed teams for his arrest and interrogation," said Azhar Akram, police spokesperson.

Experts say Qandeel’s murder is the latest in the spate of "honor killings" that plague the country. They claim that measures intended to stop such crimes have not been taken seriously.

"Most importantly I would like to call upon the government to stop this violence against women, whether it is in the public sphere or whether it is in private sphere," said Tahira Abdullah, human rights activist.

Qandeel had earned herself quite a reputation in Pakistan and abroad. Though many find her acts objectionable, her death is a blow that has echoed throughout the country.

Experts say it is the duty of the government to amend the law and close all loopholes that lead to impunity for such incidents.