‘Americans are subject to residing country’s laws’, US embassy official says after meeting with Zahir Jaffer

ISLAMABAD – In another development in the barbaric killing of Noor Mukadam, an official of the US Embassy in Pakistan Tuesday met Zahir Jaffer who confessed to committing the heinous crime.

Reports quoting sources said US officials requested the federal capital police to meet Jaffer as he is a dual national of the US and Pakistan.

Law enforcers gave permission to the embassy staff for the meeting, which took place in the office of a top cop where the accused was brought from the Islamabad district and sessions courts. The embassy official first met him in the presence of cops and later discussed the matter in the police officers’ absence.

Report of leading daily said the US embassy spokesperson, Heather Eaton, when approached for a comment on the matter, refused to comment on the case due to privacy concerns. The spox also negated divulging any information when asked if the embassy was following the case or was in contact with any authority.

Soon after the meeting, the official handle of the US Embassy in Pakistan shared a tweet. “In a foreign country, US citizens are subject to that country’s laws and when Americans are arrested abroad, the Embassy can check on their well-being and provide a list of lawyers, but cannot provide legal advice, participate in court proceedings or effect their release”, the tweet reads.

In a foreign country, U.S. citizens are subject to that country’s laws. When Americans are arrested abroad, the Embassy can check on their well-being and provide a list of lawyers, but cannot provide legal advice, participate in court proceedings or effect their release.

— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) July 27, 2021

In the meanwhile, Police revealed that Jaffer confessed to committing the crime. He made the confession during police interrogation.

Police officials, without mentioning his name, said that a statement of Jaffer is being recorded and he will also be produced before a magistrate to record his statement under CrPC 164. Jaffer allegedly claimed to kill Mukadam for allegedly cheating on him.

Furthermore, it was also revealed that the investigators had recovered the footage from CCTV cameras installed in the neighborhood, and in the recovered clip, the girl can be seen trying to escape from the house by jumping from the first floor and rushing towards the main gate, per reports.

Earlier, Jaffer's parents were also arrested along with two domestic helpers to hide evidence.

Noor Mukadam, the daughter of a former envoy, was slaughtered at a house in the F-7/4 area of the federal capital on July 20. A case under Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code has been registered against Zahir at the Kohsar Police Station.