Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday disposed of a petition by Zakir Jaffer, father of Zahir Jaffer – the principal accused in the Noor Mukadam murder case – against his October 14 indictment by a trial court after the petitioner withdrew his plea, a private TV channel reported. Zakir’s counsel, Raja Rizwan Abbasi, appeared in court earlier on Friday and requested a withdrawal of the petition. Zakir had been indicted by a trial court along with 11 others including Zahir Zakir Jaffer, Zahir’s mother Asmat Adamjee, their three household staff Iftikhar, Jan Mohammad and Jameel, Therapyworks CEO Tahir Zahoor and employees Amjad, Dilip Kumar, Abdul Haq, Wamiq and Samar Abbas.

Zakir, Asmat Adamjee and Zahoor had challenged their indictment in the IHC under separate petitions. “The indictment gives an impression as if it was carried out on the longing of the prosecution,” Zakir’s petition had said, adding that the order suggested that the court can frame charges against the accused while copying the police challan and making it a mechanical exercise. He had requested the court to declare the indictment illegal.

Presiding over a hearing on Wednesday on petitions by Zakir and others, IHC Justice Aamer Farooq had sought a reply on the petitions by the authorities. The judge had also observed that the court would pass an order binding the prosecutor to provide all necessary evidence to the defendants. In the indictment, the trial court had charged the 12 accused in the murder case for 15 offences. While the four charges were specific to the principal accused, Zahir only, the fifth charge was against his parents for allegedly concealing facts from the police. The charge sheet stated: “Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Zakir remained in touch with the accused Zahir Jaffer through telephone from Karachi and despite knowledge that the accused Zahir Zakir Jaffer had abducted Noor Mukadam, did not inform the police.”