The Supreme Court on Thursday affirmed the death sentence for Zahir Jaffer in the murder of Noor Mukadam, while partially altering other charges in its comprehensive judgment on the high-profile case.
Jaffer, the son of a prominent industrialist, brutally attacked 27-year-old Noor Mukadam at his expansive Islamabad mansion in 2021, subjecting her to torture with a knuckleduster before using a “sharp-edged weapon” to decapitate her.
A three-member bench, presided over by Justice Hashim Kakar and including Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, issued the definitive order in this infamous case.
The Supreme Court’s ruling marks a pivotal moment in the trial of Noor’s brutal murder—a case that ignited widespread public outrage and stimulated crucial national discussions concerning justice and women’s safety.
The apex court dismissed Jaffer’s appeal against his conviction under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code, thereby maintaining both his death sentence and the imposed fine.
However, the court commuted his death sentence under Section 376 (rape) to life imprisonment. Additionally, his conviction for kidnapping was overturned, rendering the sentence under that charge null and void.
Regarding Jaffer’s co-accused—his household staff—the court reduced the sentences of his watchman and gardener. It ruled that the time already served by both individuals would suffice as punishment.
Mukadam, the daughter of a former ambassador, made repeated attempts to escape on the night of her killing but was forcibly restrained by two members of Jaffer’s household staff.
“This is a victory for all the women of Pakistan. It demonstrates that our justice system is capable of delivering justice and should instill greater confidence in women regarding the legal process,” Shafaq Zaidi, a childhood friend of Mukadam, told AFP outside the court.
“This was our final recourse, and it’s difficult to articulate what this outcome truly signifies for us.”
Today’s Proceedings
At the outset of the proceedings, Zahir’s counsel, Salman Safdar, presented arguments in defense of his client. Safdar contended that the prosecution’s entire case relied exclusively on CCTV footage and the associated DVR system.
He asserted that the evidence against the appellant must be beyond a reasonable doubt. He further argued that the court could not extend its consideration beyond the footage presented as evidence.
“The footage presented by the prosecution in the Islamabad High Court failed to play,” he added.
Justice Kakar responded: “You have already conceded to the authenticity of the CCTV footage you are now contesting.” He further noted that the Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory had also confirmed that the footage had not been tampered with.
“Had a human recorded the footage, one could argue that selective parts were shown. But there is no human intervention in this case — the footage was recorded directly by a CCTV camera,” Justice Kakar remarked conclusively.
Following this, Safdar concluded his arguments.
The counsel representing the two co-accused—the watchman and gardener—then commenced presenting his case. He stated that both individuals had been sentenced to 10 years in prison, with the accusation against them being that they obstructed the victim from leaving.
Justice Najafi remarked: “Had they not prevented the victim, the outcome might have been different.”
The defense for the household staff argued that, apart from their presence at the residence, the watchman and gardener had committed no other offense.
After the arguments on behalf of the watchman and gardener concluded, Shah Khawar, counsel for Noor, began presenting his submissions.
Justice Kakar observed that many facts in the case had already been admitted, rendering further argument on them unnecessary. Justice Najafi inquired whether Noor’s mobile phone had been recovered. Khawar replied that while call records existed, the physical phone itself was not taken into custody.
The Case Background
Noor, aged 27, was discovered deceased at a private residence in Sector F-7/4, Islamabad, in July 2021. Zahir Jaffer, the primary suspect, was apprehended at the crime scene, and an FIR was subsequently filed by the victim’s father later that same day.
According to the original FIR, Noor’s father reported that she had been “beheaded after being killed with a sharp weapon” in a gruesome act that sent shockwaves across the nation.
In February 2022, a district and sessions court sentenced Jaffer to death, along with a 25-year prison term with hard labor and a fine of Rs200,000, bringing an end to the trial that spanned over four months.
In addition to the prime accused, two members of his domestic staff, Iftikhar and Jameel, were each handed 10-year prison sentences, while other co-accused—including Jaffer’s parents and several TherapyWorks employees—were acquitted.
In March 2023, the Islamabad High Court upheld Jaffer’s death sentence and upgraded his 25-year sentence to an additional death penalty, based on the appeals filed against the punishment awarded to the convicts.
An appeal challenging the IHC verdict was subsequently filed in the Supreme Court in April of last year.
