Zahir’s plea argues that his mental health was ignored
Zahir Jaffer has submitted a petition seeking a review of the Supreme Court’s verdict upholding his death sentence.
The sentence was handed down for the brutal 2021 murder of Noor Mukadam at his Islamabad home.
Noor was found brutally murdered and beheaded, a crime that drew national outrage and media attention.
The trial court and Islamabad High Court had already upheld the death sentence before the Supreme Court delivered its final ruling.
Filed under Article 188 of the Constitution, the 47-page review plea was submitted by Advocate Khawaja Haris on Zahir’s behalf.
The state and Noor’s father, Shaukat Ali Mukadam, have been named as respondents in the petition.
Zahir’s plea argues that his mental health was ignored during the trial, despite being raised before the Supreme Court previously.
The petition claims this issue was “given short shrift” and never addressed meaningfully in the court’s final judgment.
It also argues that intense media coverage and social media outrage denied Zahir a fair trial and due process throughout.
The petition states: “Hype created on social media […] constantly created hatred towards the petitioner throughout the investigation and the trial (and even at appeal stage).”
It also challenges the rape charge, saying there was no evidence to support the allegation on the official court record.
Although the death sentence for rape was reduced to life imprisonment, the plea insists Zahir should have been acquitted entirely.
Zahir’s lawyers also raised objections to the use of digital video recordings that formed a key part of the verdict.
They argued these recordings were never played during the trial or shared with the defence team for proper verification.
The Supreme Court had accepted the video evidence under the “silent witness theory”, which allows footage as primary evidence without eyewitnesses.
Justice Muhammad Hashim Kakar stated that this method of authentication has become widely accepted in global legal systems over recent decades.
The review plea insists that, without proper authentication during trial, the recordings should not have been a basis for conviction.
It further cites earlier rulings, warning that a rushed investigation process can lead to critical legal errors and miscarriages of justice.
Zahir is also preparing to file a mercy petition with President Asif Ali Zardari under Article 45 of the Constitution.
A letter by jail authorities has requested a medical board to assess Zahir’s mental health for inclusion in the petition.
Zahir Jaffer was also ordered to pay Rs 500,000 to Noor’s legal heirs, a decision that remains unchanged in the review process.
As the review petition moves forward, public interest in the Noor Mukadam case remains as strong and emotional as ever.
Loading ...