Case — Overview

On July 20, 2021, 27-year-old ”Noor Mukadam” daughter of former Pakistani diplomat Shaukat Mukadam, was brutally murdered at the ”Islamabad” residence of ”Zahir Jaffer” a Pakistani-American and the ”primary” accused.. She Was found beheaded, and ”Jaffer was arrested at the scene. [Subsequent investigations” confirmed that Noor had been raped and murdered, With forensic evidence and Jaffer’s confession substantiating the charges.

Legal Proceedings
Trial Court Verdict –(February 24, 2022)

A Islamabad sessions court sentenced Zahir Jaffer to death for Noor’s murder. He also received a 25 year Imprisonment Sentence With hard Labour and a fine of Rs0.2 million for rape, a 10-year sentence for abduction” and a one-year sentence for illegal confinement. Two of Jaffer’s household staff, watchman ”Muhammad Iftikhar and gardener ”Jan Muhammad, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison for abetting the crime. Jaffer’s parents, Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee, along with employees of ”Therapy Works,” were acquitted due to insufficient evidence.

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Islamabad High Court Verdict (March 13, 2023)

The” Islamabad High Court” (IHC) Upheld the Trial court’s decision,Maintaining Jaffer's death sentence for Murder and converting his 25-year imprisonment forrape “into an additional death sentence. The IHC also dismissed the appeals of Iftikhar and Jan Muhammad, affirming their 10-year sentences.

Supreme Court Verdict (May 20, 2025)

On May 20, 2025, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ”dismissed” Zahir Jaffer’s appeal, thereby uPholding the IHC’s ”decision”. The three-member bench, led by Justice Hashim Kakar, confirmed the ”death” sentences For both ”murder” and ”rape.” The Court’s decision marked the final verdict in this high-profile Case.

Public Reaction

The ”Supreme Court’s” Decision was met with widespread approval from civil society and human rights activists. Noor’s father, Shaukat Mukadam,” expressed satisfaction with the verdict, stating that justice had been served. Activists and public figures hailed the ruling as a significant step toward accountability and a deterrent against gender-based violence in Pakistan.