Noor Mukadam murder case: Senate panel criticises Justice Najafi’s note on ‘live-in’ relationships

WEB DESK: The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights on Thursday criticised Justice Ali Baqar Najafi for controversial comments in the Noor Mukadam murder case, calling his observations “absurd” and damaging to women’s legal protections.

Justice Najafi, who recently joined the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), suggested the 2021 murder stemmed from a “vice” in society known as live-in relationships, implying such arrangements defy both societal norms and Sharia law. His remarks sparked widespread condemnation from lawyers, journalists, and women’s rights activists.

According to Dawn, the Committee members raised serious concerns over the effect of such statements on Pakistan’s already low conviction rates in gender-based violence (GBV) cases. Official statistics show only 1.2 per cent of GBV cases result in conviction, hindered by weak prosecution, judicial delays, and lack of a centralised data system.

In response, the panel summoned key officials, including advocate generals, prosecutor generals, and police representatives, to address systemic shortcomings. Advocates highlighted underfunded shelters, crisis centres, GBV courts, and police protection units, stressing the need for urgent reforms.

Noor Mukadam, 27, was killed in July 2021 at the Islamabad home of Zahir Zakir Jaffer, who was convicted and sentenced to death in 2022. A Supreme Court bench, including Justice Najafi, upheld the sentence earlier this year. Najafi’s additional note, uploaded last week, reiterated the death penalty but attributed the crime to societal “vices,” drawing criticism for shifting focus from the perpetrator to the victim’s personal life.

The remarks drew heightened attention as they emerged just after the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, raising questions about the judiciary’s approach to gender-based crimes.

Many on X formerly Twitter also spoke about how the note speaks about the state of the rights of women in Pakistan: