ISLAMABAD: People across the globe have donated $49,843 to help fight the court case of a 27-year-old girl who was brutally murdered on July 20, a lawyer representing the bereaved said on Friday, while police said they had yet to decide if they wanted to extend the physical remand of main suspect Zahir Jaffer.
The police on Friday took the main accused, Zahir Zakir Jaffer, to the Punjab Forensic Laboratory in Lahore where he took a polygraph test. A forensic analysis of the CCTV footage acquired from his residence was also performed at the facility.
“The polygraph test of the suspect and other important forensic analysis of the evidence collected from the crime scene will help strengthen the case,” Inspector Abdul Sattar, who is investigating Noor Mukadam’s murder, told Arab News on Friday.
Jaffer was arrested from the crime scene soon after the murder last Tuesday and has since remained in police custody on physical remand. His parents are also under arrest.
Jaffer’s latest three-day physical remand is expiring tomorrow (Saturday), and the police have yet to decide if they want to get it extended to complete their investigation.
“We will discuss it with the high-ups tonight if we need Zahir Jaffer on further physical remand,” the investigation officer said.
He declined to divulge further details of the case.
The brutal killing and beheading of the daughter of former Pakistani diplomat Shaukat Mukadam has sent shockwaves through the country, prompting people to demand justice in the case.
Salaar Khan, one of the lawyers representing the Mukadams, told Arab News some friends and family members of the victim had launched the fundraising campaign on GoFundMe on Wednesday which generated over $49,000 to fight her case in Pakistani courts.
He said the fund was closed down on Friday on the request of the victim’s father after a sufficient amount was collected.
“Shaukat Mukadam said it was sufficient for now and thanked all the donors,” Khan saud, adding that unspent funds would be donated to similar causes.
He said all lawyers, including Shah Khawar and his associates, were currently providing pro bono services to the Mukadam family, though he added the case could go on for years and the victim’s family might require these funds to pay the legal team.
Meanwhile, a local court in Islamabad on Friday deferred the bail petition of the suspect’s parents, Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee, until August 4 after Shaukat Mukadam said he needed time until Monday to get a lawyer.
“The courts usually grant bail to the accused in cases wherein the maximum punishment is under ten years,” Khan said. “We will oppose the bail, but let’s see what the court decides.”
He continued that even if bail was granted, it would not impact the overall case.
Police say yet to decide on remand extension of suspect in Noor Mukadam case
https://arab.news/5p6g4
Police say yet to decide on remand extension of suspect in Noor Mukadam case
- Over $49,000 raised for legal case of murdered ex-diplomat’s daughter, lawyers say
- Main suspect Zahir Jaffer taken to Punjab Forensic Laboratory for a polygraph test, forensic analysis
Pakistan expresses solidarity with Australia as gunmen kill at least 12 in Bondi Beach shooting
- Gunmen targeted people gathered at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach to celebrate Jewish Hannukah festival
- Pakistan, itself a victim of “terrorism,” condemns violence against innocent civilians, says President Zardari
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari expressed solidarity with Australia on Sunday as gunmen killed at least 12 people and wounded a dozen others in the Bondi Beach shooting that targeted the Jewish community in the country.
New South Wales (NSW) police said two people had been taken into custody, and the Australian Broadcasting Corp. said one of at least two gunmen was among those killed. Around a dozen people were taken to local hospitals after the shooting, an NSW ambulance spokesperson said.
The attackers targeted a large group gathered at the northern end of Sydney’s Bondi Beach, near or at Bondi Park playground, as per news reports, when the attack happened. Gunmen attacked people who were there to celebrate an event related to the Jewish festival of Hannukah.
“President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed sorrow over the tragic shooting in Sydney, conveyed condolences to the victims’ families & wished the injured a speedy recovery,” the president of Pakistan’s official account on X wrote.
“Pakistan itself a victim of terrorism, stands in solidarity with & condemns violence against innocent civilians.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the Sydney attack, expressing condolences with victims of the incident.
“Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” he wrote on X.
As per international media reports, one of the gunmen has been identified as Naveed Akram from Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s southwest. His country of origin remains unclear.
One of the world’s most famous beaches, Bondi is typically crowded with locals and tourists, especially on warm weekend evenings.
Videos circulating on X appeared to show people on the beach and nearby park scattering as multiple gunshots and police sirens could be heard. One video showed a man dressed in a black shirt firing a large weapon before being tackled by a man in a white T-shirt who wrestled his weapon off him. A different man was seen firing a weapon from a pedestrian bridge.
Another video showed two men pressed onto the ground by uniformed police on a small pedestrian bridge. Officers could be seen trying to resuscitate one of the men. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage.
The attack came almost exactly 11 years after a lone gunman took 18 people hostage at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney. Two hostages and the gunman were killed after a 16-hour standoff.
