Justice for Noor Mukadam

18th of July 2021 was just another humid and suffocating monsoon day for residents of islamabad, the roads leading to the upscale neighbourhood of F7 were thronged by the usual crowd living in the sectors around but city was oblivious of the horror that awaited its residents and for a woman of 27, Noor Mukadam who was driving down from her home in Naval anchorage 9 in the evening, just few miles away from main sectors of the busy downtown. 

“He can’t run,  as Noor couldn’t and there is no escape from this hell hole”

The gruesome scene of crime was being set, now a convicted murderer and then the planner of her killing Zahir Jaffer had set the trap. Noor had to come,  see him off as he was presumably leaving for US the next day.

Noor Mukadam had no idea that the road leading to his house was one way, it had no turns, it was her last drive ever. A house of horror now was being turned into a torture chamber, a house that might have been part of her good memories at some point in life as she grew up knowing Jaffer and his affluent and influential family.

When your mother is part of Adam ji family who couldn’t resist playing along with her son, you have very little to fear in Pakistan.

The way Noor was tortured, raped and decapitated created headlines in newspapers world over in the weeks to come after July 20th when her body was found with her head lying away.

A 27 years old man who chose to trap a woman he proposed once was all set for a kill.

Couldn’t she run for her life? She did. But the domestic help was an accomplice. She was driven in a taxi to airport by Jaffer barefoot, which was a clear sign something wasn’t right but the taxi was turned around halfway back to the planned spot of murder. 

She was dragged in, she ran to the gates, she was pulled back in and slaughtered. 

She had nowhere to run or save her life

Jaffer initially appeared as a flamboyant carefree guy during the initial court hearings, shielding his face from media and shrugging his shoulder length messed up hair.

He was confident, he was unashamed, he was what a premeditated murder should look like. Mocking the unjust world where he would get away with murdering a young woman he claimed to marry once. 

Then came February 24th , 2020 less than a year. It happened when the whole country especially the residents of islamabad had mourned the death of the girl many knew personally, many had protested asking for quick justice. While many the likes of Imran Riaz khan, tried to blame the victim for her murder. It happened though on February 24th in a cramped up session court of Islamabad. The judge Atta Rabbani handed Jaffer down the capital punishment,  and 25 years of imprisonment on the charges of rape. While the accomplices,  watchman and the Gardner were thrown to barracks for ten years. 

Jaffer didn’t appear this confident anymore while moving in front of cameras, heading to the prison van.

He was on a road that had very few turns left.

He was a dual national, a Pakistani American. Did it help? No. He was barefoot now as Noor was in the last taxi ride. On his own and in the public eye.

Noor’s father who was an ex diplomat filled for increase in the punishment of Jaffer. Their lawyer Shah khawar who had done this as a Pro bono case, pleaded the case in Islamabad High court  that not only upheld the capital punishment but on 13th of March 2023 increased his 25 years of imprisonment on the charges of rape to death sentence. 

The case has been challenged by Zahir Jaffer , it is with the Supreme Court of Pakistan now.

Is there a coming back for Jaffer?

Hardly any. 

Although no one can predict how SC would view the case but the legal practitioners say it is highly unlikely at this point for the court to overturn the twice upheld capital punishment by the lower courts.

Some say Jaffer is still enjoying the comforts of a free life within the walls of prison. Dragging on cigarettes of his choice, enjoying the food of his liking while the girl he killed is long gone.

The prison is nothing but his own version of F7 house, where jaffer has stepped into not innocent as Noor but due to his own heinous crimes.

The walls are caving in, once the SC is done with appeal what is he left with but to ask for Presidential pardon.

Justice for Noor Mukadam: Will he get it? Rather impossible keeping the nature of the brutal crime.

Till then he can lounge in the prison cell, recall his last encounter with Noor Mukadam who was allured into the death trap. He can’t run,  as Noor couldn’t and there is no escape from this hell hole. Only a matter of time when his family will stop buying the time for him to suffer a hundred deaths each day as this path only leads to gallows and a tight noose awaiting him at the end of the day.

(Justice for Noor Mukadam)