Zahir Jaffer seeks SC review, says trial overlooked mental health, influenced by social media

Zahir Zakir Jaffer, convicted for the murder of Noor Mukadam, filed a review petition in the Supreme Court through his counsel, Advocate Khawaja Haris.

In the plea, Jaffer argued that the courts failed to give due consideration to his mental health issues and that the entire legal process was influenced by widespread social media outrage.

The Supreme Court had previously upheld Jaffer’s death sentence in the murder case. Following the verdict, he sought to file a mercy petition with the President of Pakistan. However, before this could proceed, the prison authorities constituted a medical board to evaluate his mental health condition.

In his review petition, Jaffer maintained that the courts had disregarded “unsoundness of mind or mental incapacity” during the trial.

He claimed the investigation and proceedings were tainted by “social media hype,” which allegedly incited public hatred against him throughout the investigation, trial, and even the appeal stage.

Read more: Zahir Jaffer seeks presidential pardon as jail authorities request psychiatric evaluation

He further alleged that the investigation was rushed and lacked thoroughness. He also asserted that there was no concrete evidence supporting the rape allegation.

While the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence for murder, it commuted his death penalty in the rape charge to life imprisonment.

The court also overturned his 10-year sentence for kidnapping and acquitted him of that charge, although it maintained a one-year sentence for illegal confinement.

According to Noor’s father, former diplomat Shaukat Mukadam, his daughter went missing on July 20 while he was out buying a sacrificial animal for Eid and his wife was at a tailor.

They later received a call from Noor saying she was going to Lahore with friends. That evening, Jaffer told the family she was not with him. At 10 pm, Kohsar police informed the family that Noor had been found dead.

Jaffer had confessed to his crime, and his DNA and fingerprints also matched. A forensic report confirmed that the accused had sexually assaulted the victim before the murder.