Zahir Jaffer moved to Adiala Jail for 14 days

Prosecutor clarifies polygraph test not done

ISLAMABAD:

Zahir Jaffer will be moved to the Adiala Jail on a 14-day judicial remand. He will be presented again before a judicial magistrate on August 16.

Jaffer was brought to the court under tight security on Monday after the completion of his physical remand. He was once again accompanied by more than 10 policemen and taken to the courtroom of West Judicial Magistrate Shaista Khan Kundi.

The judge asked the police to present the accused after which Jaffer walked towards the rostrum. She then requested him to take his mask off and he complied.

The judge asked his name and if he wanted to say something. Zahir remained silent even after the judge asked him thrice if he has something to say in his defence. After some time, Zahir remarked that his lawyer, Daniyal, will answer all questions on his behalf.

The judge then asked who was representing Noor Mukadam's family in the case. Her father, Shaukat Mukadam, came to the forefront and the judge asked who he was. "I am the father of the unfortunate woman," he stated.

After this, Investigation Officer Inspector Abdul Sattar told the court that the murder occurred 12 days ago. He said that the police have attained all information they wanted from the suspect and do not require his physical custody anymore. He asked for Zahir's judicial remand and the court approved it.

Read Zahir Jaffer presented for polygraph test

Interacting with journalists outside the court, Shaukat Mukadam's lawyer Shah Khawar said that the investigation has been completed so far but it will continue while the suspect is in jail.

He clarified that Zahir Jaffer's polygraph test has not been taken, adding that the police took his photographic test, which is important for identifying the suspect.

Duty Magistrate Shoaib Akhtar had been hearing the case but a new judge was assigned due to court holidays. Noor Mukadam was slaughtered at a house in Sector F-7/4 on July 20. The police arrested Zahir Jaffer from the crime scene. The crime has since gained national attention as the latest example of horrifying violence against women in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, in the couple harassment case involving Usman Mirza, the suspect Umar Bilal filed a bail plea in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) while and the court issued a notice to the police and summoned an answer.

According to details, the hearing of the bail plea was done by IHC judge Justice Tariq Mahmood.

The suspect’s counsel argued that the video involving Mirza harassing and torturing a couple went viral and police registered a case in which it nominated five suspects. He maintained that his client neither committed the crime nor was he present at the crime scene.

The lawyer said that the trial court rejected Bilal’s bail plea on July 28. He added that the petitioner was a university student and that there are no doubts that he would run away.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 3^rd, 2021.