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Court grants police 3-day extension in Zahir’s remand

  • July 29, 2021

Islamabad-Judicial Magistrate Shohaib Akhter on Wednesday extended the physical remand of Zahir Zakir Jaffar, the alleged killer of Noor Mukaddam, for three more days after the investigators told the court that the accused is to be taken to Lahore for forensics of CCTV footage and videos recovered from his mobile.

The judge also ordered the police investigators to produce the accused before the court on July 31, 2021 again for further proceeding in Noor Mukaddam murder case.

Earlier, a heavy contingent of police, under command of ASP Kohsar Circle Amna Baig, produced Zahir Zakir Jaffar, the alleged killer of Noor Mukaddam, before the court amid tight security after expiry of his two-day remand. When the Judicial Magistrate Shohaib Akhter took up the case, the special public prosecutor Sajid Cheema argued that the investigators of police have obtained the CCTV footage of the incident. He added the investigators required to conduct forensic examination of the CCTV footage from Punjab Forensic Lab, Lahore, Thokhar Niaz Baig for which taking the accused to the lab is must.

The special public prosecutor pleaded with the court to grant three-day extension in the physical remand of the accused.

Opposing the comments of the special public prosecutor, the defense lawyer Ansar Nawaz Mirza said since the police investigators have recovered the mobile phone, weapon and sharp knife from the crime scene, the forensic could be done through a picture of the suspect. “The court should not grant extension in physical remand of his client as it is not necessary,” the defense counsel said.

Meanwhile, Shah Khawar Advocate, who was appearing before court on behalf of Shaukat Ali Mukaddam, the father of deceased Noor Mukaddam, added that the physical presence of accused for forensic examination in Forensic Lab is mandatory. He said earlier the police investigators had also taken Usman Mirza and his co-accused to Lahore to ensure the merit of the footage in that case.

Judicial Magistrate Islamabad Shohaib Akhter, after conclusion of comments of all the parties, granted police investigators three-day extension in physical remand of Zahir Zakir Jaffar, involved in beheading 28-year-old Noor Mukaddam, the daughter of ex-Pakistani diplomat Shaukat Ali Mukaddam, apparently over a break up in his house on July 20, 2021 in Sector F-7/4.  It may be noted that the investigators of Homicide Investigation Unit (HIU) of Police Station Kohsar had presented the accused before court for the fourth time. According to sources, police investigators had recovered scores of videos from mobile phone of Zahir Zakir Jaffar while showing him dragging Noor by hair back to the room from where she managed to escape and jumped down from a balcony of the house and attempting to take refuge in a guard cabin along with main gate of house to save her life. The whole saga was reportedly witnessed by the security guard and cook of Jaffar family as well as some other mutual friends of Noor and Zahir while standing outside the house but none of them mustered courage to stop Zahir from killing Noor or had alerted police.

It was also surfaced in the media that Zahir Zakir Jaffar had been constantly in telephonic contact with his father Zakir Jaffar before, during and after murder of Noor Mukaddam in his room. It also said that Noor Mukaddam had made two phone calls to her mother who was present in her house located at Naval Anchorage.

Sources also revealed to The Nation that Zahir Zakir had hosted a party in his house on July 17 (Saturday) with scores of his male and female friends including Noor Mukaddam. 

They added a brawl occurred between Zahir and Noor during the party. After that, Zahir pushed all the participants of the party out of his house except Noor Mukaddam, whom he kept detained inside the room. 

A close friend of the duo had informed Shaukat Ali Mukaddam, the father of Noor, about her detention by Zahir in his house. 

However, the father, instead of alerting police, kept sending the common friends of Noor and Zahir to latter’s house in F-7/4 to obtain the release of his daughter.

Sources also disclosed that the family of Noor had not disclosed the illegal detention to police or public apparently to avoid social stigma. They added Noor’s father also wanted to hide the identity of the “common friend” of Noor and Zahir in a bid to keep him away from legal action.

Article source: https://nation.com.pk/29-Jul-2021/court-grants-police-3-day-extension-in-zahir-s-remand

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