The Supreme Court on Monday reserved the verdict on Zahir Jaffer’s appeal against the death sentence awarded to him in the Noor Mukadam murder case.
A three-member bench presided by Justice Hashim Kakar, and comprising Justices Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Ali Baqar Najafi, heard final arguments by the defence counsel, who challenged the admissibility and interpretation of key video evidence submitted by the prosecution.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had previously upheld Jaffer’s death sentence issued by the trial court and converted his jail term for rape charges into an additional death penalty.
Twenty-seven-year-old Noor Mukadam, daughter of former Pakistani diplomat Shaukat Mukadam, was murdered and beheaded in a posh neighbourhood of Islamabad in July 2021. The police charged Jaffer, a US national and the heir to Jaffer Group of Companies – one of Pakistan’s wealthiest families – with murder.
Defence counsel Salman Safdar argued that the prosecution’s entire case relied on CCTV footage and DVR recordings, stressing that the evidence must be beyond reasonable doubt to support a conviction. He questioned the chain of custody and insisted the footage could not be accepted without thorough verification.
In response, Justice Kakar noted that the defence had already accepted the footage’s authenticity earlier and highlighted that forensic reports confirmed the videos had not been tampered with. He further stated that the footage was captured by an automated system without human intervention, rendering doubts about selective editing irrelevant.
Read: Noor Mukadam’s killer claims insanity
The bench also addressed defence claims that the original charges did not include rape or kidnapping, which were later added.
Safdar contended that the murder weapon lacked Jaffer’s fingerprints and raised concerns over the absence of any mental health evaluation.
The court then heard from lawyers representing the co-accused — Jaffer’s household staff, including his watchman and gardener, who were convicted and handed a sentence of 10 years each.
Their defence counsels maintained their clients were only present at the site and did not actively participate in the murder.
At which, Justice Najafi observed that not preventing the victim from leaving may have influenced the outcome, while Justice Kakar questioned why the staff exceeded their employment roles.
As arguments concluded, Advocate Shah Khawar, representing the Mukadam family, began his rebuttal. The justices noted that many facts were undisputed, including the victim’s presence at the accused’s house and their relationship.
Read more: Noor Mukadam murder case: A timeline
The bench reserved the verdict and broke for a recess, with the hearing to resume later today.
At the last hearing, the apex court had adjourned proceedings following a mutual agreement between both parties after the defence requested more time to submit additional documents, arguing they were crucial, and stressed that Jaffer’s mental illness had not been properly considered in the lower courts.
Justice Kakar had criticised frequent delays in the case, while Justice Najafi noted that the mental health argument could still be made without a new application.
Despite the prosecutor’s opposition, the court agreed to adjourn, directing both sides to return fully prepared on May 19.
In February 2022, a district and sessions judge had convicted Jaffer of murder and sentenced him to death along with 25 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs200,000.
His household staff, Iftikhar and Jameel – co-accused in the case – were sentenced to 10 years in prison, while all other suspects, including Jaffer’s parents and TherapyWorks employees, were acquitted.
