SC releases detailed verdict in Noor Muqadam murder case 

Islamabad (Web Desk): The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday issued its detailed verdict in the Noor Mukadam murder case, dismissing the appeal filed by Zahir Jaffer, the primary accused in the brutal killing of Noor Mukadam, and upholding his death sentence.

In a detailed 13-page verdict, the apex court stated that the murder was carried out with extreme brutality and that the convict did not deserve any leniency.

The judgment reaffirmed the decisions of the lower courts, describing them as legally sound and supported by incontrovertible evidence. The court emphasized that there was no room for doubt concerning the guilt of the accused.

In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court recognized the “Silent Witness Theory,” ruling that video footage from a credible source can be admitted as valid evidence even in the absence of a human eyewitness.

The court noted that this principle has already been adopted in various other jurisdictions, including the United States (US).

It accepted all major pieces of evidence presented during the trial as reliable, including CCTV footage, DVR recordings, hard drives, DNA reports, and the murder weapon containing blood stains. The video recordings depicted scenes of physical torture inflicted on Noor Mukadam.

The court also maintained the convictions of co-accused Muhammad Iftikhar and Muhammad Jan.

However, it ordered their release on the grounds that they have already served a substantial portion of their sentences.

Noor Mukadam, 27, was found murdered on July 20, 2021, at a residence in Sector F-7/4, Islamabad. Zahir Jaffer, the main suspect and the person later convicted, was apprehended at the scene.

A first information report (FIR) was promptly filed by Noor’s father, Shaukat Mukadam, a former diplomat, who reported that Noor had been beheaded after being attacked with a sharp weapon.

The horrifying nature of the crime stirred widespread public outrage and brought renewed attention to issues of gender-based violence and impunity.

Following a trial lasting over four months, a district and sessions court in February 2022 sentenced Jaffer to death, imposed a 25-year prison term with hard labour, and fined him Rs200,000.

Two domestic employees, Iftikhar and Jameel, received 10-year sentences each, while other individuals initially accused in the case — including Jaffer’s parents and employees of TherapyWorks, a mental health service provider — were acquitted.

In March 2023, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) not only upheld the death sentence for murder but also upgraded Jaffer’s 25-year sentence related to rape to an additional death sentence. That decision was challenged in the SC the following month, leading to a long legal process.

Noor’s father, frustrated by the delays, had called on the judiciary to hasten proceedings of the case that remained pending for over 18 months.