Noor Mukadam case: hearing adjourned to May 20, counsel maintains Zahir Jaffer’s mental illness

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday heard arguments in the Noor Mukadam murder case while signaling an impending verdict, as the defense counsel brought ‘critical gaps in the investigation’ before the bench. Justice Hashim Kakar who is leading the hearing had earlier stated that relief would be provided to the primary accused Zahir Jaffer if it would be warranted or else the decision would be conveyed today. The hearing, however, has been postponed to May 20 (tomorrow), and Zahir Jaffer’s counsel Salman Safdar will continue his defense. Safdar maintained that Jaffer was mentally unfit, throughout the trial and that no proper medical board evaluation was conducted.

During the hearing, the bench raised serious concerns about systemic delays in country’s judicial process. “Judges must show some patience,” Justice Kakkar remarked, criticising how appeals are admitted but then left unheard for years.

“People spend ten years in death cells – this cannot continue.” The hearing saw heated arguments as Jaffer’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, challenged the trial proceedings, claiming his client was mentally unfit

Safdar referenced Justice Arshad Malik’s video scandal case and relied on Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s precedent regarding audio/video authentication, to which Justice Kakkar responded skeptically: “If we start doubting everything, even statements made in front of the Kaaba would become questionable.” The prosecution’s case, built largely on CCTV and DVR footage, faced scrutiny as Safdar pointed out ‘omissions’ in the postmortem report, which failed to document wound sizes.

“I’ve never seen a postmortem that doesn’t describe wound marks,” Safdar argued.

Justice Kakkar, however, reminded the court of the brutal nature of the crime: “A girl was mercilessly murdered in the presence of six to seven people.”

The therapy clinic’s owner and staff, accused of covering up facts, were also discussed before the hearing was adjourned until tomorrow. Justice Kakkar emphasised that while technical arguments matter, the gravity of the crime, where Noor was killed after being raped and abducted in Jaffer’s home – cannot be overlooked. The bench will resume hearing Safdar’s arguments tomorrow as Pakistan’s judicial system faces yet another high-profile test of its ability to deliver timely, transparent justice.

The case has spanned over two years since the high-profile killing of Noor who was a former diplomat’s daughter at the hands of Zahir Jaffer. The case saw multiple adjournments due to scheduling conflicts, with the justice noting: “If this bench dissolves, we’ll reconvene by noon.”

The accused’s complete medical history from 2013 till date was submitted in court by the counsel Salman Safdar. The convict, previously sentenced to death for murder, life imprisonment for rape, and 10 years for abduction, saw his punishment enhanced by the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which converted his life sentence in the rape charge to death. The IHC noted that the trial court failed to justify its decision to award the lesser punishment of life imprisonment.

Noor Mukadam case: SC adjourns hearing to May 19 amid ‘mental illness’ debate

Legal ‘complexities’ have surfaced as it was revealed that the initial FIR only included murder charges, with abduction and rape clauses added 22 days later. Questions were raised about the crime scene, the accused’s house, as no concrete evidence from the location was presented.

No forensic evidence was collected from the crime scene (Jaffer’s residence in F-7/4) despite being the alleged murder location. Discrepancies emerged between the incident timeline (occurred at 10pm), FIR registration (11:30pm), and post-mortem findings (time of death recorded as 12:10am). The investigation’s reliance on CCTV footage and photogrammetric tests of the accused also came under scrutiny. Another injured individual, Amjad, was made an accused instead of being treated as a witness. The defense counsel highlighted some ‘evidentiary gaps’ including the absence of fingerprints on the alleged murder weapon, ‘a small knife’. Except for the complainant, Shaukat Mukadam, all witnesses were state officials, with no eyewitnesses present, only circumstantial evidence forming the case’s backbone.

During the hearing, references were also made to the May 9 case involving PTI’s founder. Justice Hashim Khan remarked on a previous favourable ruling regarding photogrammetric evidence.

The hearing continues as legal teams dissect forensic and procedural aspects of this closely watched case.

The 27-year-old victim’s brutal murder in July 2021 sparked nationwide protests, leading to Jaffer’s February 2022 conviction – now under SC review alongside appeals regarding other suspects.

This is a developing story