Noor Mukadam's father demands capital punishment for Zahir Jaffer

Shaukat Mukadam, father of Noor Mukadam, demanded capital punishment for Zahir Jaffer, the primary accused in the murder of his daughter,Aaj News reported on Saturday.

During the hearing, Shaukat, former ambassador of Pakistan to South Korea and Kazakhstan, recorded his statement before Additional Sessions Judge Ata Rabbani, saying that his daughter was unjustly killed, and that he did not have personal enmity with anyone.

Noor was found murdered at a residence in the capital on July 20 last year.

A first information report was registered the same day against Zahir under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

**Court rejects plea to form medical board for Zahir **

On January 5, the sessions court had rejected an application by Zahir's counsel seeking the constitution of a medical board to determine his client's mental health.

Witnesses were cross-examined while CCTV footage of the events leading to the murder was played. However, media personnel and lawyers not related to the case were asked to leave the courtroom.

On December 1, the counsel of Zahir, the main accused in the Noor murder case, filed a petition saying that his client was suffering from severe mental ailment.

Court indicts Zahir, others

Zahir, his parents Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee, six Therapy Works employees and three household staff of the Jaffer family have already been indicted in Noor's murder.

Islamabad court indicts Zahir, others in Noor Mukadam murder case

Judge Rabbani had read out the charges against the accused persons and handed them the charge sheets, but the accused pleaded not guilty.

Background

The first information report (FIR) was registered on the complaint of the victim's father.

As per the FIR, Shaukat said that Noor called to tell them that she was travelling to Lahore with some friends and would return in a day or two. On Tuesday afternoon, the complainant said he received a call from Zahir, who informed Shaukat that Noor was not with him, the FIR said.

Noor Mukadam murder case: Supreme Court grants bail to Zahir Jaffer's mother

At around 10pm the same day, the victim's father received a call from Kohsar police station, informing him that Noor had been murdered.

Police subsequently took the complainant to Zahir's house where he discovered that his "daughter has been brutally murdered with a sharp-edged weapon and beheaded", the FIR added.