ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court on Monday decided that conviction of Zahir Jaffer and others in Noor Muqaddam murder case will stay in place.
Reports in local media suggest that a division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan announced the reserved verdict today.
The court had earlier reserved verdict on plea filed by Zahir Jaffer to death after a stretched trial of over four months while Jaffer pleaded not guilty to the heinous murder, claiming that he was wrongly implicated.
Meanwhile, some others charged in the case including Zahir’s parents, staffers, and employees of Therapy Works also moved the court for appeal.
Earlier in February, a sessions court had sentenced Zahir Jaffer to death for killing Noor Mukadam. Four accused including Zahir were presented before the court where the session judge announced the verdict amid tight security outside the court. The verdict was read out in the presence of Noor’s father.
The court also awarded 10 years imprisonment to two of his employees named Jamil and Jan Mohammad while another accused, Tahir Zahoor, was acquitted.
Zahir was apprehended from the crime scene while his parents and staff were arrested in July last year over allegations of hiding evidence and due to their involvement in the crime.
The prime accused earlier confessed to killing Noor while his DNA test and fingerprints also showed his involvement in the brutal killing.
Noor Mukadam was beheaded on July 20 in Islamabad’s F-7 area. The deceased was the daughter of Shaukat Mukadam, who served as Pakistan’s ambassador to South Korea and Kazakhstan.
Zahir Jaffer’s lawyer says ‘Noor Mukadam could have been murdered in the name of honour
The Islamabad police arrested suspect Zahir Zakir Jaffer on the night of July 20 from his house where, according to Noor’s parents, he killed her with a sharp instrument and severed her head.
