The counsel of Zahir Jaffer, the main accused in the Noor Mukadam murder case, has filed a petition in an Islamabad court seeking the formation of a medical board to determine his client's mental state, Aaj News reported.

Additional Sessions Judge Ata Rabbani presided over the hearing on Wednesday during which the accused's counsel Sikandar Zulqarnain filed the petition saying that his client was suffering from severe mental ailment.

The petition further said that it was necessary to determine his client's health through an authorised medical board according to the commands of the legislature and local and international law.

Noor Mukadam murder case: Zahir Jaffer removed from court for misbehaving with judge

The application contended that the judge himself observed Zahir's state of mind during his appearance before the court. Last month, Zahir was twice removed from the court for hurling abuses at the presiding judge.

Indictment

At an earlier hearing, last month, a district and sessions court in Islamabad indicted 12 accused for their alleged involvement in the murder of Noor.

Besides Zahir, the court framed charges against his parents, their three household staff, Iftikhar, Jan Muhammad and Jameel, and six Therapy Works employees, identified as Tahir Zahoor, Amjad, Dilip Kumar, Abdul Haq, Wamiq and Samar Abbas.

Background

Noor, daughter of a former ambassador of Pakistan to South Korea and Kazakhstan Shaukat Mukadam, was murdered at a residence in Sector F-7/4 on July 20.

A first information report (FIR) was registered against Zahir under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the victim's father.