NCSW condemns Justice Najafi’s ‘misogynistic remarks’

ISLAMABAD:

The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) has strongly condemned the “misogynistic and irresponsible remarks” made by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi regarding the Noor Mukadam murder case.

The commission said the comments reflect a “harmful mindset that shifts responsibility away from the perpetrators of violence and onto women themselves”.

Justice Najafi, a member of the three-judge Supreme Court bench that upheld the death penalty for Noor’s murderer, attributed the gruesome killing to “a societal vice”. 

In his additional note, the judge upheld the sentence handed to Zahir and observed that “the present case is a direct result of a vice spreading in the upper society which we know as ‘living relationship’ [sic]’”.

In a statement issued Friday, the NCSW said it “strongly condemns” Justice Najafi’s remarks.

“Such statements constitute clear victim-blaming and reflect a harmful mindset that shifts responsibility away from the perpetrators of violence and onto women themselves,” the commission said.  “No woman’s choices, real or perceived, can ever justify or explain brutality, murder or any form of gender-based violence.”

The commission noted that Justice Najafi’s comments also contradicted a previous judgment by Justice Ayesha Malik, who emphasised that language used for victims must be “sensitive, respectful and free from the personal biases of judges”.

According to the NCSW, Justice Malik’s judgment called on the judiciary to avoid moralising and stereotyping narratives that shame or blame women.

“The comments made in this case disregard that judicial responsibility and risk undermining public trust,” the statement stressed.  “The NCSW calls on all members of the judiciary to uphold constitutional values, maintain impartiality and ensure that courts remain spaces where survivors and victims are treated with dignity and respect,” it added.