Zahir Jaffer seeks presidential pardon as jail authorities request psychiatric evaluation

Zahir Jaffer, convicted of the brutal murder of 27-year-old Noor Mukadam in 2021, aimed to file for a presidential pardon after the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence earlier this year. However, jail authorities requested the formation of a medical and psychiatric board to evaluate Jaffer’s condition, a required step before submitting a mercy plea under Article 45 of the Constitution.

In letters dated July 8 and July 14 from Adiala Jail’s superintendent to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), authorities stated that before submitting Jaffer’s appeal, an opinion from a medical or psychiatric board is required. 

Read: Justice for Noor Mukadam: SC Upholds Ruling against Zahir Jaffar

 “Now the mercy petition of the subject cited Confirmed Condemned Prisoner has to be submitted before the Honourable President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. For that, the medical board and psychiatric board opinion is mandatory,” one of the letters read.

PIMS, in its response, nominated Dr Shafqat Nawaz from the psychiatry department and Dr Amir Naveed from the neurology department to examine the prisoner at Adiala Jail.

Jaffer was sentenced to death in February 2022 by a trial court, with the verdict later upheld by the Islamabad High Court in 2023 and most recently reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in May 2025. 

Alongside the death penalty under Section 302-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (premeditated murder), he also received a 25-year sentence with hard labour and a fine of Rs200,000 for rape under Section 376 of the PPC.

Read: "Merciless killer deserves no pardon," SC issues written verdict in Noor Mukadam murder case

The case has remained one of Pakistan’s most high-profile criminal trials, sparking nationwide outrage due to the grisly nature of the crime. Noor Mukadam, the daughter of former diplomat Shaukat Mukadam, was found tortured and beheaded at Jaffer’s Islamabad residence in July 2021.

In October 2024, Noor’s father had urged the apex court to expedite the matter, expressing frustration over the prolonged delay in concluding the judicial process.

Under Article 45 of the Constitution, the President of Pakistan has the authority to grant pardon, reprieve, or commute sentences, including capital punishment. The petition for clemency marks the final legal avenue for Jaffer following the exhaustion of his appeals.