Zahir Jaffer Petitions Court to Review Death Sentence

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Zahir Jaffer, convicted in the 2021 murder of Noor Mukadam, has filed a petition seeking a judicial review of his death penalty verdict, reopening one of Pakistan’s most high-profile criminal cases.

Zahir Jaffer, the man convicted of the brutal murder of Noor Mukadam in 2021, has filed a petition seeking a review of his death sentence with the Supreme Court of Pakistan. This move marks a new legal chapter in one of the country’s most widely followed and emotionally charged criminal cases in recent years.

Jaffer was sentenced to death in February 2022 by a sessions court in Islamabad, after being found guilty of torturing and killing Noor Mukadam, a 27-year-old woman and daughter of a former diplomat. The murder, which took place at Jaffer’s home in the capital, sparked national outrage and ignited widespread calls for justice and reform in the handling of gender-based violence in Pakistan.

His conviction was upheld by both the Islamabad High Court and the lower courts, reinforcing the death penalty handed down by the trial court. Now, Jaffer’s legal team has approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan, requesting a review of the sentence. The petition argues that the earlier judgments did not properly consider all aspects of the case and that there may have been legal or procedural errors that affected the outcome.

The Supreme Court has not yet scheduled a date to hear the review plea, but legal experts note that such appeals can be lengthy and complex. Under Pakistan’s legal system, a convict has the right to request a review of a Supreme Court ruling if there are valid grounds. However, successful reviews of death sentences are rare unless substantial new evidence or serious legal oversight is presented.