Noor Mukadam murder case: Zahir Jaffer declared mentally, physically fit by medical team

• Reports presented by doctors stated that Jaffer has went through multiple medical procedures.
• "Zahir Jaffer is physically and mentally healthy," doctor told the court.
• Zahir Jaffer was presented before the court on a stretcher today; he continuously groaned during the court hearing.

ISLAMABAD: Doctors at the Adiala Jail on Thursday declared the main accused in the Noor Mukadam murder case Zahir Jaffer as mentally and physically fit to stand trial, Geo News reported.

The reports presented by the doctors before Additional Sessions Judge Atta Rabbani stated that Jaffer had gone through multiple medical procedures and a psychiatrist had examined his mental health which, according to him, is stable.

"Zahir Jaffer is physically and mentally healthy," the doctor told the court.

His counsel had pleaded with the court to get him medically examined, after which the court had directed the authorities for his check-up.

All the prosecution witnesses recorded their statements in Noor Mukadam's case, including the investigation officer (IO) Abdul Sattar. The witnesses were cross-examined before, however, the investigation officer was cross-examined in today's session. 

What happened in court today?

Zahir Jaffer was presented before the court on a stretcher today, while previously, he had appeared before the court in a wheelchair to claim that he was mentally ill. The accused was continuously groaning during the court hearing, per reports. 

In today's session, the father of the accused Zakir Jaffer was also called before the court. 

During the court hearing, the Investigation Officer Sattar said that he received the Call Detail Record (CDR) of five people on July 27. 

Upon being asked about Noor Mukadam's call data, he said that the police hadn't obtained the Whatsapp call record because they did not know about the calls made by Noor to her parents. 

He further told the court that Noor's father Shaukat Mukadam talked to Zakir Jaffer for 11 minutes at 1:53pm on the day of the murder, July 20, adding that there are not any eye-witnesses of the murder.

According to the sources, the further hearing of the case will take place on January 24. 

The murder

The prime suspect in the murder of Noor Mukadam, Zahir, was formally charged for the crime by an Islamabad court in October 2021. Besides him, two of the family's employees — Jamil and Jan Mohammad — were also indicted, along with Zahoor.

Noor Mukadam, a 27-year-old woman, was murdered on July 20 within the limits of the ​Kohsar police station in Islamabad's F-7 area.

A case of murder was later registered at the same police station by Noor's father, former Pakistani ambassador Shaukat Ali Mukadam.

The Islamabad police arrested suspect Zahir 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.

— Thumbnail image: Screengrab/Geo.tv