The Supreme Court of Pakistan has dismissed the appeal of Zahir Jaffer against the death sentence granted in the case of murder of Noor Mukadam.
A three -members bank chaired by Judge Hashim Kakar, and composed of Judges Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Ali Baqar Najafi, confirmed the sentence after listening to the final arguments on Tuesday.
Previously, the Superior Court of Islamabad (IHC) had also confirmed the death sentence of Jaffer issued by the Court of First Instance and turned its jail period for rape charges into an additional death penalty.
Noor Mukadam, twenty -seven, daughter of former Pakistani diplomat Shaukat Mukadam, was killed and decapitated in an elegant neighborhood of Islamabad in July 2021. The police accused Jaffer, an American citizen and the heir of the Jaffer of Companies, one of the most families and tits of Pakistan, with murder.
Defensor lawyer Salman Safdar argued that the entire case of the Prosecutor’s Office was based on CCTV images and DVR recordings, emphasizing that the evidence must be beyond the reasonable doubt to support a conviction. He questioned the chain of custody and insisted that the images could not be accepted without an exhaustive verification.
At the beginning of the hearing, Zahir’s lawyer said that any evidence against his client “must be out of doubt”, arguing that the court could not “go beyond the images presented in the court.”
He said the prosecution presented the images in a USB at the IHC, but could not be played.
At this point, a Coacusado lawyer, Mohammad Iftikhar (Watchman) and Jan Mohammad (gardener), whose 10 -year -old sentences were also confirmed by the IHC, presented their arguments briefly.
The lawyer detailed the sentences, remembering that the vigilante and the gardener were accused of “preventing the victim from fleeing.”
Judge Najafi observed: “If the suspects had not stopped the victim, then the situation would have been different.”
The lawyer said that the two embedded did not have “another crime than to be present at home” at the time of murder.
“What was the need to work more than [what] The salary [is paid for]? “Judge Kakar commented.
In response, Judge Kakar said the defense had already accepted the authenticity of the images before and stressed that forensic reports confirmed that the videos had not been manipulated. In addition, he said that the images were captured by an automated system without human intervention, which makes doubts about the irrelevant selective edition.
Read: Noor Mukadam murderer affirms madness
The bank also approached the defense claims that the original positions did not include violation or kidnapping, which were then added.
Safdar argued that the murderer lacked Jaffer’s digital footprints and expressed concerns about the absence of any mental health evaluation.
Then, the court listened to the lawyers who represented the Coacusado: Jaffer’s home personnel, including his guard and gardener, who were convicted and gave him a 10 -year sentence of each.
Their defense tips maintained that their clients were only present at the site and did not actively participate in the murder.
In which, Judge Najafi noted that not preventing the victim from leaving, may have influenced the result, while Judge Kakar questioned why the staff exceeded their employment roles.
At the end of the arguments, lawyer Shah Khawar, who represents the Mukadam family, began his refutation. The judges pointed out that many facts were indisputable, including the presence of the victim in the defendant’s house and his relationship.
Read more: Case of murder of Noor Mukadam: a timeline
Noor Mukadam’s lawyer, Shah Khawar, began his arguments.
During the process, Judge Hashim Kakar commented that several facts in the case are indisputable, stating: “There is no need to discuss the agreed facts.”
He pointed out that it is an established fact that the convict and the victim lived together and described their relationship as “the guy in Europe, not here.”
Judge Kakar also commented that such relations are “unfortunate for our society” and “contrary to religion and morals.”
He also questioned whether Noor’s voluntary arrival at the Casa del Convict would decrease the kidnapping position, adding that even without CCTV images, “the recovery of the body of the convict’s house is sufficient.”
Judge Baqir Najafi asked if Noor Mukadam’s mobile phone had been recovered. Shah Khawar replied that while call records are available, the phone itself was not arrested.
During the previous hearing last week, the Apex court had postponed the procedures after a mutual agreement between both parties after the defense requested more time to present additional documents, arguing that they were crucial, and emphasized that Jaffer’s mental illness had not been properly considered in the lower courts.
Judge Kakar had criticized frequent delays in the case, while Judge Najafi said that the mental health argument could still be done without a new application.
Despite the prosecutor’s opposition, the court agreed to postpone, ordering both parties to return completely prepared on May 19.
In February 2022, a district judge and sessions had condemned Jaffer of murder and sentenced him to death along with 25 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of RS200,000.
The personnel of their home, Iftikhar and Jameel, coacusado in the case, were sentenced to 10 years in prison, while all the other suspects, including Jaffer’s parents and therapyWorks employees, were acquitted.
