IHC grants bail to Zahir’s employee Jameel

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has granted post-arrest bail of cook Jameel Ahmed in connection with the ongoing murder case of Noor Muqqadam.

Justice Aamer Farooq ordered the suspect to submit bail bonds worth Rs50,000. The court had reserved the verdict after the completion of arguments on Thursday.

The petitioner’s counsel, Raja Rizwan Abbasi, read out the decision of the trial court regarding the cancelation of bail.

He said that the FIR included the names of the gardener and watchman, but not of his client.

The court asked if the petitioner had recorded his statement under section 161, to which the lawyer replied in the affirmative.

The plaintiff’s lawyer Babar Hayat argued that charges have been framed against the petitioner and his presence at the crime scene had been proved.

He said the sections pertaining to kidnapping and illegal confinement have also been included in the FIR, for which the sentence is 10 years.

Abbasi responded that according to CCTV footage, the victim Noor Muqqadam entered the accused Zahir Jaffer’s house consensually, which did not amount to kidnapping.

Read 12 indicted in Noor murder case

However, the plaintiff’s lawyer stated that while Noor did go to Zahir’s house, she was thereafter forcibly confined and hence it was tantamount to abduction.

Babar Hayat further said that even in the bail plea case of the suspect’s parents, who were in Karachi at the time of the incident, the Supreme Court rejected Zahir’s father plea and granted bail to the mother only on the basis of her gender.

Whereas Jameel, he said, was present at the house and hence considered an accomplice. After the completion of arguments, the bench announced its verdict, which was announced on Saturday.

Noor’s family celebrates her birthday

On Saturday, October 23, Noor’s family and friends gathered at the Bazeecha Trust – a non-profit organisation focused on providing quality education, life skills and vocational training to destitute females of all ages—to celebrate what would have been her 28th birthday.

Noor’s loved ones decided to continue with her tradition of making goody bags and sharing them with a charity.

The event began with a tour of the Trust with a welcome note by Irum Mumtaz, CEO of Bazeecha Trust.

“It’s Noor’s philanthropy that set her apart,” said Irum. “I’m sure this is exactly how she would have wanted everyone to celebrate her birthday; to give back to those less fortunate.”

Bazeecha Trust was established in 2005, in the wake of the devastating earthquake that left scores of girls and women homeless and traumatised. Noor’s father, Ambassador Shaukat Muqqadam explained that on her 27th birthday, Noor had made gift bags and spent the day distributing them at a local orphanage.

“She cared about people and only ever wanted to help,” said Ambassador Muqqadam. “She wanted to help those less fortunate. She believed in embodying the principles that Islam teaches us.” Noor’s mother Kauser Muqqadam added, “Her devotion to Islam was why she had created a little booklet in which she had inscribed Allah’s 99 names through calligraphy.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2021.