IHC upholds Zahir Jaffer’s death sentence

Bench turns convict’s jail term into second death penalty

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday upheld the death sentence of Zahir Jaffer, the convicted murderer in the Noor Muqqadam murder case and also converted his 25- year jail term into another death penalty (in the rape case).

Zahir Jaffer and his two domestic staff Mohammad Iftikhar and Mohammad Jan had challenged their conviction handed to them by the trial court On February 24, 2022, a sessions court in Islamabad handed down the death penalty to Zahir Jaffer for the murder of Noor Muqqadam while his employees, watchman Muhammad Iftikhar and gardener Muhammad Jan, were sentenced to 10 years in prison for abetting in the crime.

The trial court acquitted his parents, Zakir Jaffer and Ismat Adamjee, as well as other suspects in the case including Therapy Works employees, from the charge of abetment.

IHC's two-member division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan announced the verdict which was earlier reserved on Dec 21, 2022.

The IHC also dismissed the pleas of Mohammad Iftikhar and Mohammad Jan — both coaccused in the murder case — who had challenged the trial court’s verdict.

On July 20, 2021, Noor Muqqadam was found brutally murdered in Islamabad's upscale F-7/4 sector.

Following the discovery of her body, Jaffer was arrested as the prime suspect in the case.

The IHC division bench issued a short order according to which Zahir was sentenced to death under Section 302(b) (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The death sentence awarded to the convict by the trial court was subject to confirmation by the IHC.

The trial court also found Zahir guilty of rape and sentenced to him to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs200,000 under Section 376 (punishment for rape) of the PPC.

"He is directed to pay Rs500,000 as compensation to the legal heir of the deceased as required under Section 544-A of the CrPC [Criminal Procedure Code],” the trial court order said.

Zahir had also been sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs100,000 under Section 364 (kidnapping in order to murder) and one year of rigorous imprisonment under Section 342 (wrongful confinement).

It added that the prosecution evidence had made it clear that Zahir was found in the room of “occurrence” along with Noor’s body.

The trial court judge had noted that Zahir had committed the murder of in his room situated in the upper portion of the house with a Swiss knife by separating her head from the body.

The court also said the evidence had further revealed that Zahir kept Noor in his room from July 18, 2021, to July 20, 2021.

During this period, she attempted to save her life by making attempts to escape, but she was overpowered by Zahir and subjected to rape.

According to Punjab Forensic Science Agency’s report, seminal material was identified on a vaginal swab from the body of Noor.

The DNA profile obtained from sperm fraction matched that of Zahir.

On July 25, the Islamabad police arrested Zahir’s parents and their household staff, Iftikhar and Jameel on the charges of hiding evidence and being complicit in the crime.

On September 11, 2022, the police had submitted an interim challan in the Noor murder case to the court, according to which the prime suspect, Zahir, had confessed to killing Noor after she refused to marry him.

According to reports, the DNA test also showed the victim was raped before being killed.

Zahir later meandered from his confession, claiming mental disability -- which was dismissed by the additional sessions court -- and then alleged that Noor was indulging in drugs at his house prior to her death.