Zahir confesses to Noor's murder: sources

Islamabad police find video evidence of accused torturing Noor on his mobile phone

ISLAMABAD:

Zahir Jaffer, the prime suspect in Noor Mukadam’s murder case, has reportedly confessed to committing the crime. 

Sources said the prime suspect has repeatedly changed his reasoning for committing the brutal crime. Islamabad police have also found video evidence of him torturing Noor on his mobile phone, as well as CCTV footage of the incident.

“In the footage, the girl can be seen trying to escape from the house by jumping from the first floor and rushing towards the main gate,” the sources added.

The victim could then be seen running to a security guard's cabin and locking herself in the room. Zahir followed her and dragged her out of the cabin, while the security guard and others in the street witnessed the events. Neither the guards nor the onlookers stopped Zahir.

The victim’s family reportedly informed the investigation team that Noor had instructed her driver to bring Rs700,000 to the accused’s house. However, the investigation team said no evidence regarding this had come to light.

Read more: 'No place for violence against women in our society, lives, religion or culture’

A senior police officer added that there was no confirmation of the money being withdrawn from the victim’s account, from her home, or from any other relatives.

The accused’s physical remand was also extended by two more days. During the proceedings, state prosecutor Sajid Cheema informed the court about the progress of the case and added that a pistol had been recovered from the accused and efforts were being made to recover more data from his phone.

The prosecutor further added new provisions to the case after the arrest of additional individuals linked to the case. The legal counsel of the accused, Ansar Nawaz Mirza, opposed the extension of the physical remand.

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

Read: Zahir involved in torture of girls in past

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.