Noor Mukadam case: Court rejects plea for mental health examination of Zahir Jaffer

ISLAMABAD: A sessions court in Islamabad on Wednesday rejected a plea filed by the legal team of Zahir Jaffer — the main accused in the Noor Mukadam murder case — seeking the formation of a medical board to determine his mental health, ARY News reported.

An additional sessions court under Judge Ata Rabbani announced the reserved verdict after hearing arguments of both parties.

Plaintiff’s lawyer Shah Khawar had requested the court to reject primary accused Zahir’s plea seeking formation of medical board to ascertain his mental status.

Arguments were completed in court earlier today regarding Zahir’s request for the formation of a medical board.

On December 8, Defence lawyers completed cross-examination of two witnesses in Noor Mukadam murder case.

The sessions court summoned complainant of the case Shaukat Mukadam for recording his statement in the next hearing on December 15.

Defence counsels cross-examined ASI Zubair Mazhar, who is a spot witness in the trial.

Another witness Dr. Sara, who had conducted post-mortem of the victim, testified in the court. “The post-mortem of Noor Mukadam was conducted at 9:30AM on July 21,” she said.

The grisly murder, in which Noor Mukadam was beheaded, took place on July 20 in Islamabad’s F-7 area. Noor is the daughter of Shaukat Mukadam, who served as Pakistan’s ambassador to South Korea and Kazakhstan.

The Islamabad police arrested suspect Zahir Zakir Jaffer on the night of July 20 from his house where, according to Noor’s parents, he killed her with a sharp instrument and severed her head.