Web Desk: Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Zahir Jaffer in the high-profile murder of 27-year-old Noor Mukadam, bringing a years-long legal battle to a close.
The court dismissed Jaffer’s review petition, reaffirming its earlier decision to maintain the capital punishment handed down for the 2021 killing in Islamabad.
Noor Mukadam was found murdered on July 20, 2021, at a residence in one of Islamabad’s upscale neighborhoods. The case shocked the nation and triggered widespread outrage, with protests demanding swift justice and stronger protections for women.
Investigators arrested Zahir Jaffer at the scene. Prosecutors later charged him with murder following a high-profile trial that drew intense media attention.
On Feb. 24, 2022, a district and sessions court in Islamabad convicted Jaffer and sentenced him to death. The ruling marked a significant development in a case that had become a symbol of the fight against gender-based violence in Pakistan.
Jaffer subsequently challenged the verdict in higher courts, arguing for relief from the sentence.
On May 20, 2025, Pakistan’s Supreme Court dismissed his appeal and upheld the death penalty, ruling that the conviction and sentence were supported by the evidence on record.
However, the legal process did not end there.
Jaffer later filed a review petition before the Supreme Court, seeking reconsideration of its decision. After hearing arguments, the top court rejected the plea and reaffirmed the death sentence.
With the dismissal of the review petition, the Supreme Court has effectively exhausted the convict’s final judicial remedy within the court.
The case has remained a focal point in national discourse, underscoring public demands for accountability and justice in crimes against women.
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