Landmark verdict in Pakistan: Death penalty upheld in gruesome murder of diplomat’s daughter

Pakistan’s top court on Tuesday (May 20) upheld the death penalty of Zahir Jaffer, a Pakistani-American and son of a wealthy industrialist. Jaffer is convicted of the 2021 gruesome murder of Noor Mukadam, the 27-year-old daughter of a former Pakistani envoy.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan , headed by Justice Hashim Kakar, delivered the landmark ruling in a case that has again laid bare deep-seated issues of gender violence and privilege in the South Asian nation.

More about the case

The high-profile case came to light in July 2021 when Noor Mukadam’s body was found at Jaffer’s residence in Islamabad’s upscale Sector F-7/4. The body had signs of extreme torture, rape, beheading and brutal killing.

At the scene, Jaffer was found covered in blood. Initial investigation revealed that Jaffer had held Noor hostage for two days after she turned down his marriage proposal.

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Jaffer allegedly tortured her with knuckleduster, raped and also decapitated her.

The horrific case triggered a nationwide outrage. It also attracted expansive media coverage because both the victim and the perpetrator belonged to Pakistan’s elite class.

The case also reignited the debate over violence against women and the access to justice and fair trials.

The Supreme Court in Tuesday ruling dismissed Jaffer’s plea against the death penalty earlier imposed by a lower court. Jaffer’s lawyers argued that their client was not given a fair trial because of media’s pressure. They also claimed “erroneous appreciation” of evidence in the case.

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The court meanwhile upheld Jaffer’s death sentence for murder but converted another death sentence for rape case to life imprisonment, citing legal deliberations.

Shaukat Mukadam, Noor’s father, welcome the ruling, saying, “This is not just my daughter’s case; it is a case for all the daughters of Pakistan”.

What do critics say?

Critics say the case got a lot of attention because the victim was from a wealthy, influential family. Women’s rights activist Tahira Abdullah pointed out that the murder of Mukadam received much more focus than similar cases involving less privileged women, which often get little attention or quick justice.

Pakistan ranks very low, 153 out of 156 countries, in gender equality, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2021 report.

Domestic violence is also a big problem, with 28 per cent of women aged 15-49 saying they’ve faced physical violence, as reported by the Ministry of Human Rights.