The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentence of Zahir Jaffer, the primary accused in the Noor Mukadam murder case.
A three-member bench, headed by Justice Hashim Kakar, announced the brief verdict, affirming the capital punishment earlier awarded to Zahir.
Noor Mukadam, 27, was found brutally murdered at Zahir’s residence in Islamabad in July 2021. Investigations revealed that she had been tortured and subsequently beheaded. The trial court had sentenced Zahir to death, a verdict later upheld by the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which also converted his prison term for rape into an additional death sentence.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Justice Kakar said that there was no need to deliberate over the established facts, noting that it was conclusively proven that the victim and the accused had cohabited.
While the Supreme Court maintained Zahir’s death sentence for murder, it provided partial relief by commuting the death penalty for rape to life imprisonment. Additionally, the sentence for Noor’s kidnapping was reduced by 10 years.
The court also upheld the directive for Zahir to pay compensation to the victim’s family.
Leniency was shown towards Zahir Jaffer’s domestic staff. The sentences of gardener Jan Muhammad and watchman Iftikhar were reduced, with the court ruling that the time they have already served is sufficient.
