ISLAMABAD – On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan upheld the death sentence of Zahir Jaffar, the convicted murderer of Noor Mukadam, in a landmark decision. The ruling confirmed the sentence handed down by the trial court, with some modifications regarding other charges.
Justice Hashim Kakar announced the brief judgment, which upheld Jaffar’s death sentence. The court also converted the 25-year sentence related to rape charges into a life imprisonment term. This ruling came after the defense lawyer, Advocate Salman Safdar, had completed his arguments against the conviction of Jaffar.
Noor Mukadam, a 27-year-old woman, was found murdered at Zahir Jaffar’s residence in July 2021. Investigations revealed that she had been tortured and beheaded in a horrific act of violence. Jaffar’s actions led to nationwide outrage, and the case became a symbol of the fight against gender-based violence in Pakistan.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had earlier upheld the trial court’s death sentence and imposed a second death penalty on Jaffar for the rape charges. A three-member bench, including Justices Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Ali Baqar Najafi, heard the appeals from Jaffar and his accomplices, who are also involved in the crime.
Jaffar’s defense lawyer, Salman Safdar, argued that the entire prosecution case was based on CCTV footage, which he claimed was not strong enough to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. He pointed out that the footage had been played from a USB provided by the defense after initial attempts to view it in court failed.
As the case progressed, the lawyers for Jaffar’s accomplices—his watchman and gardener—argued that their clients should only serve prison terms. The court questioned the accomplices’ actions, noting that had they not prevented Noor from leaving, the situation could have been different. The bench reserved judgment after the lawyer for Noor’s father, Shaukat Mukadam, a retired diplomat, began his arguments.