Plaintiff cross-examined in Noor case

Defence counsel says Zahir Jaffer’s health worsened in Adiala jail

ISLAMABAD:

All prosecution witnesses including the investigating officer recorded their statements in the Noor Muqqadam murder case.

The cross-examination of all witnesses except for the investigating officer was also completed in the murder case. The investigation officer will be cross-examined on January 20.

Additional Sessions Judge Atta Rabbani heard the case.

Plaintiff Shaukat Muqqadam also appeared before the court and was cross-examined by the counsel for the main accused.

State Councilor Sikandar Zulqarnain Saleem, counsel for the main accused Zahir Jaffer, cross-examined Shaukat Muqqadam through the video link. Shaukat Muqaddam said that he had been an ambassador between 2010 and 2013. He said that he had signed the application for the FIR.

The lawyer of the accused asked the plaintiff “as a former ambassador, do you think it is right for a boy and a girl to have contacts without any relationship in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan?"

In response to this, which Shaukat Muqqadam said that it was not correct but the nature of the relationship should be seen. He said in universities, girls and boys study together. The two had known each other for 20 to 25 years.

During this, lawyer Asad Jamal said that the counsel’s question was not proper and he should drop it.

After that, the lawyer of the accused asked how long Noor Muqqadam and Zahir Jaffer had been in a relationship. At this, plaintiff's lawyer Shah Khawar said, "I object to this question. That cannot be the question. According to Article 146 of the Law of Evidence Order 1984 question cannot be of scandalous nature. The court granted the request of advocate Shah Khawar and the question was dropped.

The counsel for the accused asked the plaintiff were both classmates and did you know that he (Zahir Jaffer) had been deported from London due to mental illness, yet you gave permission to your daughter to meet him?

At this, Shaukat Muqqadam said he did not know about his deportation from London, nor were Noor and the accused classmates.

In response to another question, Shaukat Muqqaddam said that when he left home on July 19, “we thought that Noor Muqqadam was at home”.

Later, he said, Noor called and said that “she was going to Lahore with her friends. “Noor had done this two or three times before but she would tell when she arrived. We checked with her friends to confirm her going to Lahore but got no response. I did not report Noor's disappearance to the police,”.

When Shaukat Muqqadam was asked about his children, he said that his daughter Sara was 35, his son Muhammad Ali 33 and Noor was 27.

He said that his son Muhammad Ali was not involved in the case at any stage.

“I signed five documents during the interrogation process. I do not know the name of the person who called from the police station, the number is written in the investigation.

The call that Zahir made to me is not in the call data. He called on my personal number on WhatsApp. I never mentioned Zahir’s call during the interrogation,” the plaintiff said. He said that Noor was never stopped from going to Zahir's house nor Zahir's parents ever spoke about this.

During the hearing, plaintiff's counsel Shah Khawar, Nisar Baig and Babar Hayat appeared before the court.

The main accused Zahir Jaffer, Ismat Adam, Zakir Jaffer and other accused were produced in the courtroom.

Public Prosecutor Hassan Abbas, Therapy Work lawyers Akram Qureshi and Zain Qureshi also appeared before the court.

Earlier, Sikandar Zulqarnain Saleem's associate lawyer said that the court has seen the condition of the main accused Zahir Jaffer. The medical check-up order given to the Adiala jail administration had not materialised yet.

On Saturday, in the absence of Zahir Jaffar, the statement was recorded and cross-examined, he said.

The main accused Zahir Jaffer was brought to the courtroom during the break. Police brought the accused from Bakhshi Khana on a chair.

After a while, the accused was sent back to Bakhshi Khana.

On behalf of the accused, the lawyer requested a medical check-up of the accused.

Additional Sessions Judge Ata Rabbani said that he had earlier written to the Adiala jail authorities on the request of the accused and now he was again issuing an order for his medical treatment.

Earlier, Investigating Officer of Noor Muqqadam case Abdul Sattar Khan recorded his statement and said that an iron fist, 9mm pistol and cigarette were seized from the crime scene.

He said that later the computer operator, Mudassar, arrived and played the CCTV footage in the DVR system.

He said that the CCTV footage had an advance time of about 35 minutes.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2022.