On the fiendish night of July 20, 2021, in a mansion in F-7/4 off Margalla Road - an upscale sector of Islamabad - Noor Mukadam was diabolically decapitated with a knife. She had been held captive there for two days, tortured with a knuckleduster, raped, and finally brutally murdered by Zahir Jaffer, son of Zakir Jaffer.
The horrific news of this heinous crime jolted every societal nerve! Noor's murder sparked a powerful wave of feminist action in Pakistan, galvanizing the public and leading to increased awareness about violence against women. A groundswell of feminist activism followed the tragedy. The incident laid bare systemic flaws in the justice system and the pervasive issue of violence against women, prompting urgent calls for accountability and reform in our parochial society. Not only women and children, but men too were outraged by this savagely premeditated murder.
Since 2021, Noor's case has moved relentlessly through the courts, with the nation collectively holding its breath, waiting for justice to prevail. The path to justice has been arduous. Four years have passed...and still we wait.
Meanwhile, Sarah Inam's gruesome murder by ShahNawaz Amir shocked the nation anew. The people of Pakistan seethe with anger over these victims of rape and murder.
Now the ball rests in President Asif Ali Zardari's court. His decision will set a precedent - will justice prevail or be compromised?
What was these young women's crime? Simply loving and trusting their partners - cardinal sins that got them killed! 'To love or not to love' - this becomes the painful question. But in teaching women to distrust, aren't we indoctrinating hearts to become inhuman?
The Verdict
The Supreme Court has dismissed Zahir Jaffer's appeal, confirming his death sentence for Noor's brutal murder - a crime that shook the nation. The court ruled his actions were premeditated and merited the ultimate punishment.
While maintaining the death sentence for murder, the court commuted the second death sentence for rape to life imprisonment.
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Reduced Sentence for Abduction: Jaffer's 10-year abduction sentence was reduced to one year - a significant leniency, though the overall verdict remains severe.
This decision brings some closure to Noor's family and demonstrates the judiciary's commitment to addressing extreme violence. Yet as the saying goes: "There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lips."
Fatima Bhutto called Noor's murder "a test for a system that too easily bends to power and influence." We cannot ignore that Zahir holds dual Pakistani-American citizenship. While Americans uphold justice as a core value, we've seen psychopathic offenders granted clemency. We pray the truth of this premeditated murder ultimately prevails.
"Justice delayed is justice denied" is no mere cliché. High-profile cases like these receive attention, while countless ordinary victims remain unheard - an injustice that must change.
Noor's parents visit her grave each evening. Elegance and grace now veil their pain. As their neighbor, I see them making dua at her resting place, spending time with their beloved daughter. Sometimes they smile at children playing in the graveyard. This sacred proximity blurs one's vision of demons and angels...only unsullied justice can distinguish them.
While European human rights organizations campaign against capital punishment, many women in Pakistan hope Zahir's execution will set a definitive example. The Supreme Court has upheld the lower courts' verdicts.
Philanthropist Ismaã Saãdat suggests the only resolution is a "supra judicial encounter." Our neighbor Asim Zuberi, a retired PTV producer, remarks: "Let's see when it's practically done...Four years for a verdict - who knows how long until execution? Pathetic system."
These sentiments fuel the nation's dying faith in justice. The Zia era crushed our hopes - recall how Zia ul Haq, who seized power unconstitutionally, pressured rape survivor Shabnam Ghosh to pardon her attacker. Under this cursed tyranny, the oppressed Shabnam ultimately left Pakistan.
کیا کِیا خضر نے سکندر سے؟
اب کسے رہنما کرے کوئی؟
"What did Khizr do to Alexander? Now whom would take anyone as a guide?"
―Mirza Ghalib (مرزا غالبؔ)
Now the ball rests in President Asif Ali Zardari's court. His decision will set a precedent - will justice prevail or be compromised? The nation waits anxiously, hoping he will uphold the Supreme Court's verdict, sending an unequivocal message: such heinous crimes will not be tolerated.
Capital punishment for capital crime! Nothing less, nothing more... The nation waits.