Court gets more time to wrap up Noor case
A file photo of 30-year-old Zahir Jaffer talking to the media outside a courtroom in Islamabad. SCREENGRAB: EXPRESS
The Islamabad High Court has given four more weeks to the trial court to wrap up the Noor Muqqadam murder case.
On a letter of Additional Sessions Judge Atta Rabbani, the deadline for completion of the case has been extended for another four weeks. Earlier, the Islamabad High Court had ordered to complete the trial of Noor Muqaddam murder case in two months, and then it was extended for six weeks, now it has been extended for another four weeks.
On the other hand, counsel for one co-accused Zakir Jaffer completed his arguments in the Noor Muqqadam murder case. Zakir Jaffer's lawyer Basharatullah said that his client was illegally arrested by the police and he was on interim bail. Noor Muqqadam's contact with her mother more than once has been proved by the CDRS. My client even did not know what was happening in his house.
Zakir Jaffer and Shaukat Muqaddam had a 10-minute call on July 20. The investigator did not write anything on it. Does the investigator ask what you (Shaukat Muqqadam) talked about for 10-minutes? Police wrote in their investigation that she (Noor Muqqadam) was a regular visitor to Zahir Jaffer house.
He said that neither the data of Noor Muqqadam's mobile nor the data of Jaffer's mobile has been found. Nowhere in the FIR is it stated which company’s mobile phone Noor Muqqadam was using.
According to the DVR, she came to the house alone at 10 pm on July 18. Noor Muqaddam's mobile phone was hidden, why it was not found on July 20? How it was found on July 23? If the police had taken the data of WhatsApp, a lot of things would have come to light. Nowhere in the whole case did the plaintiff say that he had received the call of WhatsApp.
He said that the mother's testimony was not required, but during the interrogation, she was asked what she was talking about. The court directed the lawyers of the other accused to give arguments on February 16.
On the other hand, Zahir Jaffer, the main accused in the Noor Muqqadam case, has levelled new charges against police and plaintiff Shaukat Muqqadam. Zahir Jaffer claimed that a false case was made against him to extort money from his family. He said that he did not kill Noor Muqqadam.
When Additional Sessions Judge Atta Rabbani heard the case, state councillor Shehryar submitted a statement on behalf of the accused.
The main accused said in his written statement that plaintiff Shaukat Muqqadam knew that my family was financially stable, so a case was made against me and my family with help of the police to extort money from us.
Zahir Jaffer said that due to drug use, I have been undergoing treatment abroad and in Pakistan. He said that the mobile phone of the victim has also been changed and the purpose was to hush up the calls she made to her friends to attend the drug party.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2022.