Supreme Court rejects Zahir Jaffer’s review petition against death sentence in Noor Mukadam murder case

The Supreme Court has issued its detailed written judgment dismissing the review petition filed by convicted murderer Zahir Jaffer

The Supreme Court has issued its detailed written judgment dismissing the review petition filed by convicted murderer Zahir Jaffer against his death sentence in the Noor Mukadam murder case. The 12-page judgment was authored by Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim.

According to the written judgment, Zahir Jaffer had requested the court to reconsider his death sentence and convert it into life imprisonment on the grounds that he was suffering from a mental illness. However, the Supreme Court observed that the convict had failed to present any evidence that could justify reconsideration of the court’s earlier decision.

The judgment stated that the available record clearly established that Zahir Jaffer had committed an extremely serious crime. The court noted that the nature and circumstances of the offence did not warrant any reduction in the punishment awarded to him.

The Supreme Court further explained that its jurisdiction in a review petition is extremely limited. A review application cannot be treated as an appeal, nor can the petitioner use the review process simply to seek a fresh examination of the entire case.

The written judgment also highlighted the protection and respect afforded to women under Islam. The court observed that subjecting women to violence, abuse and insecurity is contrary to both Islamic principles and the laws of the state.

The Supreme Court’s decision means that the death sentence awarded to Zahir Jaffer remains intact. The trial court had previously sentenced him to death for the rape and murder of Noor Mukadam. The Islamabad High Court subsequently upheld the death sentence, and the Supreme Court also maintained the punishment before rejecting his review petition.

The murder of Noor Mukadam on July 20, 2021, shocked Pakistan and sparked widespread public outrage. Noor was brutally murdered on the day of Eid-ul-Azha at a residence in Islamabad’s F-7 area.

Following the incident, police launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. During the investigation, authorities determined that Zahir Jaffer was the main accused in the case.

Investigators also discovered that Zahir had remained in contact with his parents, Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee, before and around the time of the incident. The investigation examined the communications between the accused and his parents as authorities attempted to establish what had happened before Noor’s murder.

The case attracted significant public attention because of the brutality of the crime and renewed national debate about violence against women, women’s safety and the effectiveness of the justice system.

The prosecution presented evidence before the trial court, which eventually found Zahir Jaffer guilty of murdering Noor Mukadam and sentenced him to death. His conviction and sentence were subsequently challenged before the Islamabad High Court and later the Supreme Court.

With the Supreme Court now dismissing his review petition, the court has once again reaffirmed that the punishment imposed in the case does not warrant reduction.

The detailed judgment also emphasized the importance of protecting women from violence and ensuring that serious crimes against women are dealt with according to the law. The decision represents another major development in one of Pakistan’s most closely followed criminal cases, which has continued through several stages of the judicial process since Noor Mukadam’s murder in July 2021.