IHC adjourns hearing of appeals in Noor Mukadam murder case

The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of appeals against sentences and acquittals announced in Noor Mukadam murder case, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Directing for filling the paper box, the court put off the hearing until October 5.

A two-judge IHC bench led by Justice Amir Farooq heard the case regarding appeals including of murderer Zahir Jaffer.

Justice Farooq asked whether the prime convict, Zahir Jaffer has appointed any lawyer for himself. “And if not, the court will provide him one,” he added.

The court was informed that Zahir Jaffer has hired a lawyer for himself, after which the court adjourned the hearing until October 5.

On July 20, 2021, Noor Mukadam, 27, was found murdered at Zahir Jaffer’s house in Islamabad. According to the FIR registered by her father, he discovered that his “daughter had been brutally murdered with a sharp-edged weapon and beheaded”.

After a months-long trial, an Islamabad court sentenced Jaffer to death for the murder of Noor Mukadam on Feb 24 lat. The court also found him guilty of rape and handed him 25 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs200,000.

The court sentenced two co-accused Mohammad Iftikhar and Jan Mohammad — both domestic servants at Jaffer’s house — to 10 years’ imprisonment. Both, who were working as watchman and gardener, respectively, were punished for aiding in the crime. However, Jaffer’s parents as well as TherapyWorks personnel were acquitted by the sessions court. Jamil Ahmed, a chef at Jaffer’s residence, was acquitted by the court.

The parents of Noor Mukadam subsequently moved the Islamabad High Court seeking stringent punishments for the convicts besides contesting the acquittal of Jaffer’s parents. Similarly, the domestic staff of the convict approached the court against the punishments awarded to them.

Zahir Jaffer had also challenged the death sentence in the case.
 

Reporter Ehtesham Kiyani