Noor Mukadam case convict Zahir Jaffer lost his review petition. The Supreme Court of Pakistan upheld his death sentence in the high-profile Islamabad murder case.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Hashim Kakar announced the decision after a lengthy hearing. The court also rejected Jaffer’s request for any reduction in the capital sentence.
Jaffer’s counsel, Khawaja Haris, argued that a toxicology test was conducted on Noor Mukadam, but no drug test was carried out on the convict. He sought mitigation of the sentence. Additionally, he said all relevant facts should have been considered before capital punishment.
Justice Kakar rejected the suggestion that media or social media pressure influenced the courts. He said courts do not base decisions on media reports or public pressure. Moreover, he cited the court’s recent position in the Sunny Maseeh case.
Read: Zahir Jaffer Seeks Review of Noor Mukadam Murder Death Sentence
The bench also noted contradictions in the defence arguments about Jaffer’s mental condition. Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim observed that the trial court had rejected a request for a medical board. Furthermore, he noted that the issue was not challenged before the High Court.
Noor Mukadam, 27, daughter of a former diplomat, was murdered at Jaffer’s residence in Islamabad in July 2021. Police arrested Jaffer on July 21, 2021, and recovered a pistol, knife and knuckleduster from the scene.
The Supreme Court had earlier upheld Jaffer’s death sentence for murder on May 20, 2025. The latest ruling keeps that sentence in place after the dismissal of his review plea.
