Zahir Jaffer, the convict sentenced to death for the gruesome murder of Noor Mukadam, is preparing to file a presidential mercy petition.
According to letters received by national media, jail authorities have requested the formation of a medical board for his examination. It should be noted that Noor Mukadam, who was 27 years old, was found dead at Zahir Jaffer’s residence in Islamabad in July 2021. Investigations revealed that she was tortured before being murdered and was beheaded.
In 2023, the trial court sentenced Zahir Jaffer to death, a verdict upheld by the Islamabad High Court.
In May, the Supreme Court also upheld the death sentence awarded by the two lower courts under Section 302B (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Now, following the Supreme Court’s decision, President Asif Ali Zardari has the constitutional authority under Article 45 to pardon, suspend, commute, or delay the sentence.
According to the letters, which were sent by the superintendent of Adiala Jail to the director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Zahir Jaffer requires the opinion of a medical or psychiatric board before submitting his presidential mercy petition.
A letter dated July 8 states: “The above-mentioned confirmed condemned prisoner (Zahir Jaffer) had an appeal pending before the Supreme Court of Pakistan which has now been dismissed. His mercy petition is now to be presented to the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. For this, the opinion of a medical and psychiatric board is mandatory.”
