A district and sessions court in Islamabad granted another two-day extension to Zahir Zakir Jaffer’s physical remand on Monday, claiming his life is now in danger. He is a suspect in the brutal murder of Noor Mukadam.
After completing his previous two days of physical remand, Jaffer was presented to Duty Magistrate Sohaib Bilal Ranjha by the Kohsar Police Station. According to reports, the accused was escorted to court by a large security presence.
The public prosecutor, Sajid Cheema, argued that while a pistol was recovered from Jaffer, his cellphone was not. As a result, the court was requested to extend the remand for an additional two days. However, the accused’s attorney argued that no further remand was necessary because the police recovered what they sought.
Additionally, Shah Khawar, the attorney for Shaukat Mukadam, the deceased’s father, argued for the accused’s continued physical detention. The counsel argued that additional provisions be added to the case, including the arrest of the other co-accused.
Following the arguments, the court extended Jaffer’s physical remand by two days. The court adjourned the hearing and directed that a police investigation be conducted and that the accused be brought before the court again on July 28.
The suspect’s parents and two of their employees were reportedly remanded to police custody for two days a day earlier by an Islamabad court. According to reports, the judgment was rendered following Jaffer’s father, Zakir Jaffer, and mother, Ismat Adamjee, before magistrate Shehzad Khan. Additionally, Iftikhar and Jamil, two of the suspect’s domestic helpers, were placed on two-day physical remand. During the hearing, the attorney for the deceased’s father argued that the legal system had been violated, pleading with the court to physically remand the suspect’s parents. Initially, the police sought a five-day physical remand for the four suspects.
During a press conference, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed announced that Jaffer’s name had been added to a provisional no-fly list dubbed the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL).
Noor Mukadam, 27, was reportedly slaughtered during the Eid holidays in an upscale residential area of Islamabad. According to police, she was assassinated at a house in the city’s F-7 neighborhood. The defendant struck her with a pointed object. According to the police, she was slaughtered after the murderer opened fire on her.