Noor Mukadam's parents deny 'compromise' rumors, seek early hanging for Zahir Jaffer

Shuakat Mukadam (C), a former ambassador and father of the victim Noor Mukadam comes out from a court after the case verdict in Islamabad on February 24, 2022. (AFP)
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Updated 28 February 2022
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Noor Mukadam's parents deny 'compromise' rumors, seek early hanging for Zahir Jaffer

  • Noor's father maintains he was not only seeking justice for his daughter but fighting for the honor of every woman in Pakistan
  • Shaukat Mukadam says most people in the country also wanted to see other accused in the case to be punished

ISLAMABAD: Parents of a 27-year-old Pakistani girl who was brutally murdered by one of her acquaintances in the federal capital last July have denied the rumors they are open to the possibility of making a compromise with their daughter's killer who was recently sentenced to death by a local court, reported a local media outlet on Monday.

Noor Mukadam, the daughter of a former Pakistani diplomat, was found beheaded in Islamabad's upscale F-7/4 neighborhood last year in a murder that sparked public outrage and grabbed media attention unlike any other recent crime against women.

The key suspect in the case, Zahir Jaffer, a childhood friend of the victim and a US national of Pakistan origin, was arrested from the crime scene, his residence, on the day of the murder.

He was indicted last October and given capital punishment by a sessions court in Islamabad on Thursday after lengthy legal proceedings.

"People should be careful while talking about any compromise which is out of the question," Shaukat Mukadam, Noor's father, told Express Tribune. "I have said this over and over again. There is no truth in it. There is no truth in such fabricated stories."

He maintained he was not only seeking justice for his daughter but fighting for the honor of every woman in Pakistan.

Ambassador Mukadam added just like the high court had instructed the trial court to expedite the case, he was also hoping for an early implementation of the death sentence.

"Most people in Pakistan wanted other accused to be punished as well," he continued.

Noor's mother told the newspaper she decided not to visit the court on the day of the verdict since she did not want to see the "cruel face" of her daughter's killer.

"We will only be satisfied when he will be hanged," she added.


Pakistan shuts key motorway routes as dense fog envelopes Punjab

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Pakistan shuts key motorway routes as dense fog envelopes Punjab

  • Authorities close major routes as reduced visibility threatens to trigger accidents on motorway
  • Air quality of Lahore, Punjab’s provincial capital, recorded at alarming 322 AQI by IQAir index

LAHORE: Dense fog blanketed major motorways in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Tuesday (December 16), prompting authorities to shut down several key routes due to severely reduced visibility and heightened accident risks. 

Lahore’s air quality was recorded at an alarming 322 AQI at 6 AM (0100 GMT), earning the dubious title of the world’s most polluted city.

Frustration mounted among stranded commuters, with Mohammad Naeem venting, “We’ve been waiting since 6 AM. The buses are ready, but we haven’t been allowed to board, and we’re not being informed.”

Fellow passenger Hafiz Safar Abbas echoed his sentiment. “The public is uncertain. If the weather clears, the motorways should reopen immediately,” he said

Government authorities are monitoring the situation, working to reopen the motorways once conditions improve, while travelers are urged to stay patient and informed.