ISLAMABAD: A sessions court in Islamabad has issued a written order warning Zahir Jaffer, the key accused in the Noor Mukadam murder case, that he would be banned from appearing in court during the trial if he continued to misbehave, Pakistani media reported on Saturday.
The order comes days after police officers were forced to carry Jaffer out of the courtroom after he reportedly used indecent language and misbehaved with the judge during a trial hearing.
Mukadam, 27, was found beheaded at Jaffer’s house in Islamabad’s upscale F-7/4 neighborhood on July 20. The trial for her murder is one of the most closely watched in Pakistan’s recent history, as the case has sparked public outrage and grabbed media attention unlike any other recent crime against women. Jaffer was arrested from the crime scene on the day of the murder and has been in custody since.
The trial in the case began last month.
“Zahir Zakir created fuss in the court and tried to interfere in the proceedings. He is directed to mend his attitude, otherwise his attendance will be exempted from the court and he will be taken on video link from jail,” Dawn reported, quoting the court order.
On Wednesday, during a hearing in which district and sessions judge Atta Rabbani was hearing prosecution witnesses, Jaffer repeatedly interrupted the proceedings and used indecent language, witnesses present in the courtroom told Arab News.
“These proceedings are being prolonged because they don’t have any authority,” Jaffer said at one point to the judge. It was unclear whom he was referring to as having no authority.
At another point he said: “I haven’t seen such incompetent people in my life. This proceeding is fake. I am giving you a chance that you should hang me, but even then this case is being delayed which shows that all of you are just puppets.”
The suspect also repeatedly called out to a person he identified only by one name, Hamza, saying: “Where are you Hamza? My life is on stake. I should be allowed to speak.”
Jaffer’s interruptions continued for about half an hour after which Rabbani ordered police officials to remove the accused from the courtroom. As police surrounded him, Jaffer, who was handcuffed and in chains, fought back and reportedly banged his head repeatedly against a wall. Police had to grab his arms and legs and carry him out of the courtroom. Video footage of the scene was shown widely on Pakistani news channels.
At his indictment hearing last month, Jaffer admitted he had committed the “crime” but appealed to the judge to release him from jail and put him under house arrest.
Others charged in the case include Jaffer’s parents, Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee, their three household staff, Iftikhar, Jan Muhammad and Jameel, and six workers from Therapy Works, a counselling center from where Jaffer had received certification to become a therapist and where he had been receiving treatment in the weeks leading up to the murder.
On Thursday, Islamabad police registered a criminal case against Jaffer for using “abusive language” inside the courtroom and attempting suicide on the court premises.
“We have registered a criminal case against Zahir Jaffer and a separate charge-sheet for it will be presented in the court,” Assistant Sub-Inspector Waqas Ahmed told Arab News at the Margalla police station. “He has not only used abusive language in the courtroom, but also tried to commit suicide by smashing his head against the wall.”
Islamabad court orders Zahir Jaffer to ‘mend attitude’ or face ban from court appearances
https://arab.news/z5qda
Islamabad court orders Zahir Jaffer to ‘mend attitude’ or face ban from court appearances
- Trial started last month in murder of Noor Mukadam who was found beheaded at Jaffer’s home in Islamabad in July
- Police had to carry Jaffer out of courtroom on Wednesday after he used ‘abusive language,’ misbehaved with judge
US freezes visa processing for 75 countries, media reports Pakistan included
- State Department announces indefinite pause on immigrant visas starting Jan 21
- Move underscores Trump’s hard-line immigration push despite close Pakistan-US ties
ISLAMABAD: The United States will pause immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries starting Jan. 21, the State Department said on Wednesday, with Fox News and other media outlets reporting that Pakistan is among the countries affected by the indefinite suspension.
The move comes as the Trump administration presses ahead with a broad immigration crackdown, with Pakistan included among the affected countries despite strong ongoing diplomatic engagement between Islamabad and Washington on economic cooperation, regional diplomacy and security matters.
Fox News, citing an internal State Department memo, said US embassies had been instructed to refuse immigrant visas under existing law while Washington reassesses screening and vetting procedures. The report said the pause would apply indefinitely and covers countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America.
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the Department of State said in a post on X.
According to Fox News and Pakistan news outlets like Dawn, the list of affected countries includes Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Russia, Somalia, Brazil and Thailand, among others.
“The suspension could delay travel, study, and work plans for thousands of Pakistanis who annually seek US visas. Pakistani consulates in the US are expected to provide guidance to affected applicants in the coming days,” Dawn reported.
A State Department spokesman declined comment when Arab News reached out via email to confirm if Pakistan was on the list.
The Department has not publicly released the full list of countries or clarified which visa categories would be affected, nor has it provided a timeline for when processing could resume.
Trump has made immigration enforcement a central pillar of his agenda since returning to office last year, reviving and expanding the use of the “public charge” provision of US immigration law to restrict entry by migrants deemed likely to rely on public benefits.
During his previous term as president, Trump imposed sweeping travel restrictions on several Muslim-majority countries, a policy widely referred to as a “Muslim ban,” which was challenged in US courts before a revised version was upheld by the Supreme Court. That policy was later rescinded under the President Joe Biden administration.
The latest visa freeze marks a renewed hardening of US immigration policy, raising uncertainty for migrants from affected countries as Washington reassesses its screening and vetting procedures.
The freeze on visas comes amid an intensifying crackdown on immigration enforcement by the Trump administration. In Minneapolis last week, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good, a US citizen, during a federal operation, an incident that has drawn nationwide protests and scrutiny of ICE tactics. Family members and local officials have challenged the federal account of the shooting, even as Department of Homeland Security officials defended the agent’s actions. The case has prompted resignations by federal prosecutors and heightened debate over the conduct of immigration enforcement under the current administration.
