The Supreme Court in Pakisrtan has postponed the hearing on Zahir Jaffer’s appeal against his death sentence in the Noor Mukadam killing case until May 19 by mutual agreement from both parties.
The appeal was heard on Tuesday by a bench with three members led by Justice Hashim Kakar and consisting of Justice’s Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Ali Baqar Najafi.
Defense Attorney Salman Safdar and Prosecutor Shah Khawar were present during the case.
Safdar requested further time to submit additional documents and argued that they could significantly influence the outcome of the case.
He maintained that Jaffer is suffering from mental illness, a defense he claimed had been overlooked by both the trial and high courts.
‘No medical board has ever been composed to evaluate the accused’s mental health,’ Safdar told the bench, adding that previous Supreme Court judgments about the case had also been ignored.
Justice Kakar questioned the rationale for a postponement and noted that both legal teams were present. “In our court, a case is only delayed if the judge or lawyer dies,” he noted, criticizing the frequency of avoidable delays.
Justice Najafi asked if the issue of mental illness had been raised during previous procedures. When Safdar confirmed that it had not been considered sufficient consideration, Justice Kakar observed that the point could still be argued without requiring a new application.
Prosecutor Shah Khawar opposed the postponement, but justice Najafi advised him to respond first after the defense formally submitted his application.
The court ordered both parties to return fully prepared for the next consultation scheduled for May 19.
Noor, 27, was found murdered with her head detached from her body in Jaffar’s residence in Islamabad’s distinguished sector F-7/4 on July 20, 2021. A first information report (FIR) was recorded later that day against Zahir Jaffer, who was arrested at the site of the murder.
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In February 2022, a judge and sessions sentenced Judge Jaffer for murdering Mukadam, convicting him with 25 years of string prison and a fine of RS200,000.
His household staff, Iftikhar and Jameel – Co -Appeal in the case – were each sentenced to 10 years in prison, while all other suspects, including Jaffer’s parents and therapy workers, were acquitted.
According to the causal list available on the Supreme Court on the Pakistan web site, “The hearing on the appeal against Jaffer’s death sentence will be held on May 13.”
Justice Hashim Kakar will lead a bench with three members consisting of Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, who will hear the case.
