Latest news with #PakistanSupremeCourt
The Citizen
20-05-2025
- The Citizen
Pakistan's top court upholds death penalty for man who beheaded girlfriend
The ruling by the Pakistan Supreme Court is seen as a victory for all women of Pakistan. Shah Khawar, the lawyer who argued for beheaded Noor Mukadam's case, speaks to media after Supreme Court's verdict in Islamabad on May 20, 2025. Picture: Aamir Qureshi / AFP Pakistan's Supreme Court upheld the death penalty on Tuesday for a man who beheaded his girlfriend in a case which prompted an explosive reaction from women's rights campaigners. Pakistani-American Zahir Jaffer, the son of a wealthy industrialist, attacked 27-year-old Noor Mukadam at his sprawling Islamabad mansion in 2021 after she refused his marriage proposal — torturing her with a knuckleduster and using a 'sharp-edged weapon' to behead her. 'This is a victory for all the women of Pakistan. It shows that our justice system can deliver justice and should give women more confidence in the legal process,' Shafaq Zaidi, a childhood friend of Mukadam, told AFP outside the court. 'This was our last resort, and it's hard to put into words what this outcome means to us.' Legal battles, mental health claims, and overturned convictions Jaffer, in his early thirties, was convicted of rape and murder in 2022, but his legal team appealed arguing that he was suffering from mental health issues. Justice Hashim Kakar on Tuesday upheld the death penalty for murder but commuted a death penalty for rape to life imprisonment. ALSO READ: Death penalty around the world Executions, however, have rarely been carried out in Pakistan in recent years. Mukadam, the 27-year-old daughter of a former ambassador, had made repeated attempts to escape the night she was killed, but was blocked by two members of Jaffer's household staff. The two staff members were convicted for abetting murder in 2022 but their conviction was overturned on Tuesday and the judge said they could be freed. Jaffer's parents, Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee, were found not guilty of attempting to cover up the crime in 2022. Deep-rooted sexism in the justice system The brutal nature of the murder, involving a couple from the privileged elite of Pakistani society, led to pressure for the trial to conclude swiftly in a country where the justice system is notoriously sluggish and cases typically drag on for years. ALSO READ: Man accused of gouging ex-girlfriend's eyes with screwdriver denied bail as Mchunu condemns incident According to the Asma Jahangir Legal Aid Cell, a group providing legal assistance to vulnerable women, the conviction rate for cases of violence against them is lower than three percent. Targets of sexual and domestic abuse are often too afraid to speak out, and criminal complaints frequently not investigated seriously. While families are often stigmatised if the behaviour of the victim is called into question. Throughout the trial, judges made demeaning comments about Mukadam for spending time alone with Jaffar when the pair were unmarried, with Justice Kakar on Tuesday adding that it was 'against our values'. 'Exhausting struggle for justice' Farzana Bari, a women rights activist who attended the hearing, said the comments imply 'that the man has some legitimate right to detain her, which is a harmful and regressive notion'. 'Such judicial attitudes contribute to a long and exhausting struggle for justice, often leading victims to lose hope and give up along the way.' NOW READ: Macpherson hands over 10 properties in Mpumalanga for GBV shelters
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First Post
09-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
How Pakistan SC empowered Asim Munir, man who triggered tensions with India
Against the backdrop of tensions between India and Pakistan rising, the Pakistan Supreme Court just backed Army chief General Asim Munir. Pakistan's apex court, in a 5-2 ruling, has allowed civilians to be tried by military courts. But why has the court strengthened Munir's hand? And why does it matter? read more India and Pakistan are at each other's throats. After the Pahalgam attack, India launched Operation Sindoor – carrying out strikes on terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Ever since the two countries have accused each other of sending drones and missiles across the Line of Control. Now, the Pakistan Supreme Court may have just made things worse. The apex court of the neighbouring country just backed Army chief General Asim Munir, according to several media reports. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A speech of Munir's comments backing the two-nation theory recently went viral on social media. But what happened? How did Pakistan's Supreme Court rule? And what did Munir say? What happened? As per Hindustan Times, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that civilians can be tried by military courts. The apex court in doing so overturned an October 2023 judgment that called civilians being tried by the military 'unconstitutional." The seven-judge constitution bench of the court led by Justice Aminuddin Khan on May 7 cleared the way for those involved in anti-Pakistan Army protests in May 2023 to be tried by the military. As per News18, lakhs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members in May 2023 had taken to the streets to protest the arrest of ex-prime minister Imran Khan. Imran, who has been in jail for two years, had accused Munir of ordering his arrest in a corruption case. The demonstrators, blaming Munir for the arrest of their party leader, had swamped military institutions. As per News18, nearly PTI 1,000 workers had been arrested – many without evidence, they claimed. In October 2023, Pakistan's apex court had ruled that the civilians could not be tried by the military. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, several petitioners including law enforcement agencies appealed the Supreme Court's decision. Imran, who has been in jail for two years, had accused Asim Munir of ordering his arrest in a corruption case. Pakistan's court in a 5-2 decision overturned the previous ruling. The court also restored three parts of the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, which had been struck down in 2023. As per Hindustan Times, Justice Aminuddin Khan ordered the government to amend the Army Act in less than two months to allow those convicted by the military courts the chance to appeal in a high court. Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Naeem Akhtar Afghan disagreed with the majority. The court had reserved its judgement on Monday. Why this matters The decision deals yet another blow to democracy in Pakistan – which since Independence has seen long periods of military rule. It also concentrates even more power in the hands of the Pakistan Army chief – which has historically been the most powerful position in Pakistan – who many believe is responsible for the standoff between India and Pakistan 'With this shield in his hand, the increasingly unpopular general can now worry a little less about internal dissent,' a piece in India Today noted. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Munir was formerly head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) during the Pulwama attack. Experts say India needs to be careful when dealing with Munir. An analyst told India Today, 'This is not an asymmetric war like Israel vs Hamas or Azerbaijan vs Armenia. This is between two of the most professional armies who are equally matched and have nuclear capabilities. Anything we do, we should expect him to retaliate. Controlling the escalation ladder of conflict will not be easy. Judging by Munir's recent actions, we should be prepared for unpredictability and surprises, including him initiating something and blaming us for it.' 'Munir would have gamed all options beforehand and is moving with greater caution than normal. We need to carefully gauge him, as he has extensive intelligence and operational exposure. It's like a game of chess in which we need to think 10 steps ahead of him along with our own contingency plans and punches. So, we have to keep second-guessing his moves till we have some tentative answers at least. Specialists also need to do a detailed psychological profiling based on his behaviour and statements,' another strategist added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD PTI slams ruling As per India Today, the PTI slammed the ruling as a 'weaponised decision'. 'The decision has been given on a day when the purportedly installed regime and the establishment want to build National Cohesion,' Omar Ayub Khan, a member of the National Assembly (Parliament) from the PTI, was quoted as saying by Dawn. Haleem Adil Sheikh, PTI's chief of Sindh province, added 'Dropping the military courts verdict amid a war-like situation is a deliberate move to mask injustice'. Reena Omer, South Asian legal advisor to the International Commission of Jurists, Reena Omer, called the decision 'terrible, though perhaps expected'. 'A pity the highest court of the land is on board with such militarisation of justice in the country,' Omer wrote on X. What Munir said Munir in April made an extremely inflammatory speech at the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad. 'You have to narrate Pakistan's story to your children so that they don't forget it when our forefathers thought we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different, our customs are different, our traditions are different, our thoughts are different, our ambitions are different, that's where the foundation of the two-nation theory was laid. We are two nations, we are not one nation," Munir, endorsing the two-nation theory championed by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir. Photo: YouTube/ISPR Munir made the speech in the presence of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. 'Because of that, our forefathers mounted that incessant struggle to create this country. Our forefathers, they have sacrificed immensely, and we have sacrificed a lot for the creation of this country, and we know how to defend it,' Munir said. 'My dear brothers and sisters and sons and daughters, please don't forget the story of Pakistan, and don't forget to narrate this story of Pakistan to your next generation, so that their bond with Pakistan never weakens, whether it is the third generation, or the fourth generation, or the fifth generation, they know what Pakistan is for them,' he added. Munir in the same speech referred to Kashmir as Pakistan's 'jugular vein.' Indian intel agencies said they were looking into whether the Pakistan Army chief's speech played any part in causing the Pahalgam attack. 'Our stance is absolutely clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle,' Munir said, STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Intelligence officials say Munir's words and his focus on the 'differential treatment' of Muslims and Hindus may have encouraged militant groups to act. Munir had also warned of a 'swift and notched-up response' to any Indian action following the Pahalgam attack. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded to Munir's remarks by saying, 'How can anything foreign be in a jugular vein? This is a Union Territory of India. Its only relationship with Pakistan is the vacation of illegally occupied territories by that country.' With inputs from agencies
