ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani state has sought capital punishment for Zahir Jaffer who raped and beheaded a 27-year-old woman Noor Mukadam at his Islamabad residence in July last year while demanding enhancement of sentences for others involved in the case in an appeal filed in a local court.
The office of Advocate General Islamabad on Wednesday filed the appeal in Islamabad High Court against the verdict announced in the case by a district court in February this year. The 30-year-old Pakistani-American, Jaffer was given death sentence for killing Mukadam along with 25-year imprisonment for rape, 10-year jail term for abduction and one-year prison time for keeping the victim in illegal confinement.
Others charged in the case included Jaffer’s parents, Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee, three members of their household staff, Iftikhar, Jan Muhammad and Jameel, and six employees of Therapy Works, a counseling center from where Jaffer had received certification as a therapist, and where he had been receiving treatment in the weeks leading up to the murder. The court also announced 10-year prison sentence for both Iftikhar and Jan Mohammad while all others were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
The state has now appealed the high court to enhance Jaffer’s punishment from 25 years imprisonment in rape to capital punishment, increase sentences of Iftikhar and Jan Mohammad and reverse the acquittal of Jaffer’s parents and Therapy Works employees.
“Jaffer was proven guilty of raping Noor Mukadam through forensic reports and he himself admitted it too in the court. Therefore, we are appealing the high court to award him death sentence on this charge too,” advocate Zohaib Gondal, a law officer at the Advocate General Islamabad office, told Arab News on Thursday.
He said the state had also appealed the court to enhance sentences of Iftikhar and Mohammad since they were also found guilty of involvement in the murder.
“We have challenged acquittal of Jaffer’s parents and Therapy Works employees on the basis of substantial evidence,” he added.
Gondal said the state would produce mobile phone and call record data in the high court to prove the involvement of Jaffer’s parents in the murder.
“The CCTV footage showing the presence of Therapy Works employees on the crime scene is a crucial piece of evidence that proves their involvement in the case,” he continued.
The prosecution proved during the court proceedings that Jaffer had raped Mukadam, the daughter of a former Pakistani diplomat, and tortured her with a knuckle duster before beheading her.
He was arrested at his residence on the day of the murder and indicted last October.
The victim’s father, Shaukat Mukadam, has already filed an appeal in the Islamabad High Court against the acquittal of nine people accused in the case.
The court will start hearing the case on April 27.
Pakistani state seeks stricter sentence for Zahir Jaffer, others in Noor Mukadam murder case
https://arab.news/bdh5v
Pakistani state seeks stricter sentence for Zahir Jaffer, others in Noor Mukadam murder case
- Mukadam was raped and beheaded by Zahir Jaffer at his Islamabad residence in July last year
- The state has challenged the acquittal of Jaffer’s parents on the basis of ‘substantial evidence’
Pakistan, Qatar resolve to boost strategic, economic cooperation at Doha talks
- Both countries urge dialogue on Afghanistan amid renewed border tensions between Islamabad and Kabul
- Discussions focus on bilateral trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday agreed to deepen their strategic and economic cooperation during high-level talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif visited Qatar along with a high-level delegation on the invitation of Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Pakistan premier also held meetings with Qatar’s trade and defense minister to discuss cooperation in various domains.
The visit came at a time when Pakistan is seeking closer economic engagement with Gulf partners amid its broader push to stabilize the economy and attract investment, while maintaining security and defense cooperation with key regional states.
During their meeting in Doha, PM Sharif and Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, according to the Pakistan prime minister’s office.
“They reaffirmed the strong brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in political, economic and institutional ties,” Sharif’s office said.
“Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture, with both sides stressing the importance of their task force to accelerate cooperation in all these areas.”
Pakistan and Qatar maintain strong trade and investment ties. In 2022, the office of Qatar’s emir said the Qatar Investment Authority planned to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, targeting sectors including transport, aviation, education, health, media, technology and labor.
Nearly 300,000 Pakistanis live and work in Qatar, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, with many employed in health, education, engineering and public services, as well as construction and transport. The two countries engage through forums such as the Bilateral Political Consultations and the Joint Ministerial Commission.
Sharif said he had productive discussions with Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on how the two sides could transform their brotherly ties into mutually beneficial economic relationships.
“We also took stock of the regional situation,” he said. “Pakistan and Qatar will continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.”
DIALOGUE WITH AFGHANISTAN
Earlier, Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called for dialogue to support regional stability.
The meeting took place amid renewed tensions after Islamabad carried out airstrikes last week on what it described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets inside Afghanistan. Kabul said the strikes killed civilians and vowed to respond to what it called a violation of its sovereignty.
“Regional developments were also discussed, in particular the situation in Iran and Afghanistan,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “Both sides emphasized the importance of dialogue, de-escalation and collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.”
This was the second time in less than six months that Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan. The last strikes triggered heavy, weeklong clashes between the neighbors along their border before Qatar and Turkiye mediated a ceasefire between them in Oct. last year.
Separately, Sharif held meetings with Qatar’s State Minister for Trade Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), highlighting Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms.
He invited QBA members to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing, his office said.
