Zahir involved in torture of girls in past

Police recover videos as remand extended for two days

ISLAMABAD:

In startling revelations and significant development, the Islamabad police have managed to unearth preliminary data from Zahir Jaffer’s mobile phone, the prime suspect in Noor Mukadam’s murder case, as authorities recovered multiple torture videos on women from his phone.

Sources said the police have recovered the accused's mobile phone data and important evidence has been recovered from his phone. Sources further said that the accused was involved in violence against women in the past as well. The ICT police have sent his phone to the forensic unit.

Furthermore, the Islamabad District and Sessions Court has extended the physical remand of Jaffer for two more days. Police brought the accused in tight security. Duty Magistrate Sohaib Bilal Ranjha granted physical remand of the accused and directed the ICT police to present the accused on July 28.

Read more: Ministry asked to put Noor’s ‘killer’ on ECL

According to details, Jaffer was presented before the court after the completion of his two-day physical remand. The Islamabad police asked the court to extend his remand by another two days, saying that they had recovered the pistol from the possession of the suspect.

Meanwhile, the police added four more clauses of hiding evidence and being complicit in the Noor Mukadam murder case.

Earlier, the Islamabad police had also arrested the parents of Noor Mukadam’s killer. Jaffer’s father Zakir Jaffer and mother Asmat Adamjee were taken into custody by the police in the federal capital late on Saturday night.

The police also arrested domestic helpers Iftikhar and Jamil for investigation. The arrests of Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee were made after a detailed statement by Noor Muqaddam’s father, Shaukat Muqaddam.

The police produced both parents before a duty magistrate on Sunday, who handed them and their two servants to police on physical remand for two days. The police, however, did not rule out more arrests linked to Noor’s murder. They said the police are trying to piece together all the direct or indirect evidence linked to this murder.

The police said Zakir Jaffer, Asmat Adamjee, servants Iftikhar and Jameel were arrested on charges of hiding facts and assistance in crime. Meanwhile, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner reportedly ordered the seal the Therapy Works Rehabilitation Centre where the murderer spent some time.

After the arrest of more accused the police have decided to add relevant clauses of the law in the case. A court had granted physical remand of the parents and two servants as well and handed over the co-accused to police on two days’ physical remand.

The murder and beheading of Noor Mukadam has sparked nationwide outrage with thousands of people calling on the authorities to take the case to its logical end. The post-mortem report was released on Friday, stating that she was beheaded after being murdered in Islamabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2021.