
Noor Mukadam's murder: Zahir Jaffer to undergo medical evaluation ahead of filing mercy plea
Mukadam, the 27-year-old daughter of a former diplomat, was brutally murdered by Jaffer at his Islamabad residence in July 2021, with investigations confirming she was tortured before being beheaded. A trial court sentenced Jaffer to death in 2022, a verdict later upheld by the Islamabad High Court in 2023.
In May 2025, the Supreme Court also upheld the death penalty, leaving Jaffer with the only option of seeking a presidential pardon under Article 45 of the Constitution, which allows the president to grant clemency by pardoning, reprieving or commuting a sentence.
'The [medical] board is expected to visit Adiala jail within this week, most likely in the next two to three days, to conduct the medical and psychological evaluation of the prisoner,' Jail Superintendent Abdul Ghafoor Anjum told Arab News.
Anjum said he had requested the director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for the formation of the medical board after being informed by the convict's counsel that he intended to file a mercy petition before the president.
'It is entirely a routine matter as whenever a mercy petition is to be filed for any prisoner, we are required to conduct a medical and psychological examination,' he said, adding the matter was being dealt with strictly in accordance with rules.
Officials at Adiala Jail sent two letters, dated July 8 and July 14, to PIMS, requesting the formation of the medical board.
'The appeal of above mentioned Confirmed Condemned Prisoner (Jaffer) was pending at [the] Supreme Court of Pakistan and the same has been dismissed,' read a letter, seen by Arab News.
'Now the mercy petition of [the] subject, cited confirmed condemned prisoner, has to be submitted before the Honourable President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. For that, the medical board and psychiatric board opinion is mandatory,' prison officials said in the letter, requesting PIMS management to schedule Jaffer's examination within the jail premises.
PIMS constituted the medical board and named Dr. Shafqat Nawaz from the Psychiatry Department and Dr. Amir Naveed from the Neurology Department as its members, according to documents seen by Arab News.
'Following the board's report, the confirmed condemned prisoner, Jaffer, may proceed to file a mercy petition in accordance with the rules,' Anjum added.
Mukadam and Jaffer, son of a wealthy industrialist, were widely believed to have been in a relationship which they had broken off a few months before her murder.
Her shocking murder, involving members of the privileged elite of the Pakistani society, triggered an explosive reaction from women's rights activists reckoning with pervasive violence against women in Pakistan.
It also mounted pressure for a swift conclusion of the trial in a country known to have a sluggish justice system and where cases typically drag on for years.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Man convicted of killing wife and 2 children set to be 9th person executed in Florida this year
A man convicted of the 1994 machete killings of his wife and two children was set to be put to death Thursday evening in what would be a record ninth execution in Florida this year and its highest single-year total since the Supreme Court restored the death penalty in 1976. Edward Zakrzewski 60 was scheduled to receive a three-drug lethal injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke after his last appeal was rejected a day earlier by the nation's highest court. Florida carried out eight executions in 2014 a one-year high matched by its latest execution in mid-July. Zakrzewski awoke at 5:15 a.m. Thursday and had a meal that included fried pork chops potatoes root beer and ice cream said state Department of Corrections spokesman Paul Walker speaking at an afternoon news briefing. He remained compliant Walker said adding Zakrzewski had one unidentified visitor. Florida this year has carried out more executions than any other state while Texas and South Carolina are tied for second with four apiece. A 10th execution is scheduled in Florida on Aug. 19 and an 11th on Aug. 28 under death warrants signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Zakrzewski an Air Force veteran was sentenced to die for the June 9, 1994 killings of his 34-year-old wife Sylvia and their children Edward 7 and Anna 5 in the Florida Panhandle. Trial testimony showed he committed the killings at their Okaloosa County home after his wife sought a divorce and he had told others he would kill his family rather than allow that. The woman was attacked first with a crowbar and strangled with a rope court testimony showed. Both children were killed with the machete and Sylvia was also struck with the blade when Zakrzewski thought she had survived the previous assault according to court records. Zakrzewski's lawyers filed numerous appeals over the years but all were rejected. Twenty-six men have died by court-ordered execution so far this year in the US and 11 other people are set to be put to death in seven states during the remainder of 2025. Florida was also the last state to conduct an execution with Michael Bernard Bells lethal injection on July 15. DeSantis signed a warrant for a 10th Florida execution Aug. 19 for Kayle Bates who was convicted of abducting and killing a woman from an insurance office in 1982. On Wednesday night DeSantis issued a death warrant for Curtis Windom who was convicted of killing three people in the Orlando area in 1992. His execution is set for Aug. 28. Florida uses a three-drug cocktail for its lethal injection: a sedative a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart according to the state Department of Corrections. Opponents of Thursday's execution plan pointed to Zakrzewski's military service and the fact that a jury voted 7-5 to recommend his execution barely a majority of the panel. They noted he could not have received the death penalty with a split jury vote under current state law. A group opposed to the death penalty organized an anti-execution petition urging people to call DeSantis' office and read a prepared script appealing for a stay.


Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan working on ‘comprehensive, effective' strategy to eliminate militants— PM
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said his government is working on a 'comprehensive, effective and actionable strategy' to completely eliminate militant outfits in the country, state-run media reported, as Islamabad grapples with a rise in militant attacks in its western provinces. Pakistan has struggled to contain increasing militant attacks in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and southwestern Balochistan provinces in recent months, where it faces twin insurgencies launched by the Pakistani Taliban and separatist Baloch militant outfits. Sharif chaired a meeting of the Steering Committee on Counterterrorism and Establishment of the State's Writ (Harden the State) in Islamabad, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said in a report. The meeting was attended by senior military and government officials, including Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Muhammad Asim Malik, the four provincial chief secretaries, police chiefs, senior ministers and officials. 'He [Sharif] said Pakistan is working on a comprehensive, effective, and actionable strategy for the complete elimination of anti-social elements including Fitna Al-Hindustan and Khawarij,' Radio Pakistan said. Pakistan's military frequently uses 'Fitna-al-Khawarij' for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and 'Fitna-al-Hindustan,' to describe the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other separatist outfits. Islamabad accuses New Delhi of arming and funding militant groups in KP and Balochistan, a charge India denies. Pakistan also blames Afghanistan for providing sanctuaries to militants that it says launch attacks on Pakistani soil. Kabul has always denied the allegations. Sharif said Pakistan has adopted a multi-dimensional strategy in its war against 'terrorism,' noting that ground operations, relevant legislation, meaningful public engagement, and discouragement of extremist ideologies have been effectively utilized by authorities. 'He directed the committee to ensure effective coordination between the federal and the provincial governments and strictly implement its recommendations,' the report added. The Pakistani prime minister highlighted that a peaceful and 'terrorism-free strong state structure' is essential to restore investors' confidence at the international level. Sharif said the government's reforms, such as the digitization of several systems and improvement in the tax system, were restoring investors' confidence. A day earlier, Pakistan's army chief addressed participants at the 16th National Workshop Balochistan in Rawalpindi where he reiterated the military's commitment to eliminating militancy. Munir had said during his speech that violent extremism must be countered, while calling for a unified national response. Separatist groups in Balochistan have long accused the Pakistani state of exploiting the province's vast natural resources, ranging from gas and coal to copper and gold, without equitably sharing the benefits with local communities. They claim successive governments have prioritized extraction over development, leaving the region impoverished despite its mineral wealth. Pakistani authorities have, however, consistently rejected such accusations, maintaining that a significant number of development projects are underway to uplift Balochistan's economy, improve infrastructure and expand access to education and health care. In KP, the TTP has launched some of the deadliest attacks against law enforcers and civilians in its bid to impose its own version of Islam in the country.


Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Top Pakistani general meets Egyptian president, leadership to discuss military, counterterrorism cooperation
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani top general met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the country's senior civil and defense leadership on Thursday to discuss regional situation, military and counterterrorism cooperation, the Pakistani military's media wing said. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, who is Pakistan's chairman joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC), is in Egypt for the third round of defense and security talks between the two countries. During the visit, he met senior Egyptian officials such as El-Sisi, General Abdel Mageed Ahmed Abdel Mageed Saqr, minister of defense and military production and commander-in-chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces, Admiral Osama Mounier Mohamed Rabie. He also met the chairman and managing director of the Suez Canal Authority, as well as Professor Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed El-Tayeb, the grand imam of the Al-Azhar institute, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military's media wing, said. 'Discussions focused on bilateral military cooperation, security, counterterrorism and prevailing regional situation,' the ISPR said. 'Dignitaries from both sides emphasized upon the shared interest in further strengthening and expanding existing military-to-military relationship in the domains of training, joint military exercises and defense cooperation.' Speaking to El-Tayeb, Mirza highlighted the importance of religious and inter-faith harmony to promote tolerance, inclusivity and address the underlying causes of 'terrorism,' the military's media wing said. 'Egyptian dignitaries lauded the professionalism of Pakistan Armed Forces and acknowledged their sacrifices in the fight against terrorism,' the ISPR said. Mirza was presented a guard of honor by an Egyptian Armed Forces contingent upon his arrival at the Ministry of Defense, the military's media wing said. Pakistan and Egypt have cordial ties and both countries have resolved in recent years to facilitate businessmen with visas, exchange trade-related information and promote private-sector contacts. Earlier this month, senior officials of Pakistan and Egypt discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation in agriculture, food security and farming, with Islamabad expressing interest in learning from Cairo's successful experiences in these areas.