It’s been 4 years since Noor Mukadam was murdered in cold blood. Will her parents live to see justice served?
On July 20th 2021 Noor Mukadam was allegedly tortured by accused Zahir Jaffer, coercively summoned to his house and forcibly kept there by him against her will.
She was then subjected to a disturbingly vile degree of torture and ultimately, murdered – heinous crimes that have been followed closely by most Pakistanis on social media.
In February 2022, Jaffer was convicted of murdering Mukadam and sentenced to death along with 25 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 200,000.
Along with Zahir Jaffer, members of his household staff were also sentenced while his parents and co-accused TherapyWorks (a counseling center that Jaffer had connections with) were acquitted.
In March 2023, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) not only confirmed the death sentence for Zahir Jaffer but also increased his punishment. His earlier 25-year prison sentence was changed into another death sentence. So, instead of one, he was now facing two death sentences for the same crime. Jaffer then filed an appeal in the Supreme Court in April 2023, challenging the IHC’s decision. However, the case remained pending for more than one and a half years.
The Defence Council for Zahir Jaffer has been subsequently accused of delaying tactics on the pretext of submitting further documentation and also filing for a medical board examination on the grounds that Zahir suffers from mental illness.
Noor’s father, Shaukat Mukadam, has been constantly requesting the Supreme Court to take up the case. On Noor’s birth anniversary in 2024, he held a press conference and asked for speedy justice, saying that delays were only adding to the family’s pain. His appeal against the acquittal of Zahir’s father, Zakir Jaffer, was also set to be heard by the Supreme Court on May 13th 2025.
The court has now adjourned the hearing of Zahir’s appeal against his death sentence to May 19th 2025.
Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied.
Sources: The Express Tribune, Dawn News, and Truth International.
