 "Zahir Jaffer sentenced to death in Noor Mukadam murder case: Why this conviction is significant for all women in Pakistan")
A Pakistani tycoon’s son has been sentenced to death for raping and beheading his girlfriend in Islamabad last year in a case that sparked outcry in Pakistan.
The case shocked the nation and prompted widespread protests calling for greater rights for women in a country where violence against them has been described as “endemic”.
Here’s all we know about the case.
The case
Pakistani-American Zahir Jaffer, 30, attacked Noor Mukadam, the daughter of a former Pakistani diplomat at his home in Islamabad’s upscale Sector F-7/4 area in July last year after she refused his marriage proposal.
News agency AFP reports that Zahir Jaffer had tortured Noor with a knuckleduster and then used a “sharp-edged weapon” to behead her.
AFP further stated that Noor had made repeated attempts to escape the sprawling mansion but was blocked by two members of staff.
The murder trial against Zahir Jaffer formally began on 20 October and four months later, on 24 February, the Islamabad district court delivered its judgment.
Judge Atta Rabbani said, “The main accused has been awarded the death sentence.”
The court also held two household employees of Jaffer, a guard and a gardener, guilty and sentenced them to 10 years for abetting the murder.
The court heard they had blocked the young woman’s attempts to leave the luxury mansion.
Jaffer’s parents, who had faced charges in connection with covering up the killing, were acquitted by the court.
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View AllReactions to the case
Noor Mukadam’s father, Shaukat Mukadam, welcomed the verdict.
“This case is for all the daughters of Pakistan,” he told reporters. “The society and media came to our side, the entire nation and the world was on our side.”
The Guadian reported prosecution lawyer Shah Khawar as saying, “Justice has been served, and today’s verdict will empower Pakistani women at large. We will challenge the acquittal of his parents at the higher court.”
People across Pakistan also lauded the court’s decision and took to Twitter to share reactions.
Demonic entity Zahir Jaffer awarded death sentence in Noor Mukaddam’s murder case ✌️
— Hassan Khan (@mhassankhan06) February 24, 2022
The verdict in the #NoorMukaddam case is unprecedented and will bring solace to the lives of her family. Justice has been served. pic.twitter.com/LOjvWqtnxv
— Mehrene Malik Adam (@AdamMehrene) February 24, 2022
Violence against women in Pakistan
The case has once again put the spotlight on the country’s attitudes towards women and the rising crimes against them.
AGHS Legal Aid Cell, a rights group providing free legal representation for marginalised groups in Pakistan, stated that the conviction, in this case, was significant as the conviction rate for cases of violence against women is less than 3 per cent in the country.
In fact, Pakistan’s poor record on women’s rights and their protection has placed the country at the 130th position out of 189 countries on the UN’s gender inequality index.
“Violence against women and girls – including rape, murder, acid attacks, domestic violence, and forced marriage – remains a serious problem throughout Pakistan,” US-based rights group Human Rights Watch had said in its 2021 annual report.
In 2020, the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan {HRCP} recorded at least 430 cases of killings in the name of so-called “honour”, with 363 women killed in gender-based attacks.
According to survey data from the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development {OECD}, at least 85 per cent of Pakistani women “have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner at some time in their life”, the highest number worldwide.
With inputs from agencies
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