Islamabad: A Pakistani court in Islamabad on Thursday sentenced to death the scion of a prominent industrialist family, after finding him guilty of brutally beheading his childhood friend and daughter of a former diplomat last year after she apparently denied his marriage proposal.
Zahir Jaffer, 30, was convicted by the Sessions Court in Islamabad for the premeditated murder of Noor Mukadam, 27, at his residence on July 20 last year as he was enraged when she apparently refused to marry him.
Noor’s beheaded body was found at the residence of Zahir on July 20, 2021.
On the complaint of the victim’s father and former ambassador Shaukat Mukadam, the police registered a first information report against Zahir and arrested him under the charges of premeditated murder, the website of Aaj TV, a Pakistani news channel reported.
The brutal killing of Noor last year had shocked the country and drew condemnation nationwide.
Many people asked if the scion of Jaffer Brothers conglomerate of industries, who was also a US citizen, would be brought to justice.
On Thursday, Additional Sessions Judge Ata Rabbani announced the verdict he had reserved on Tuesday on the completion of the case, convicting Zahir under Section 302 of the Pakistani Penal Code.
However, the court acquitted Zahir’s father Zakir Jaffer, mother Asmat Adamjee and his personal cook but awarded 10 years jail to each of his servants Iftikhar and Jameel. They were co-accused in the case.
The judge also acquitted employees of TherapyWorks, an organisation dealing with addicts, which was contacted by Zahir’s father to deal with his son when reportedly he was behaving wildly after committing the crime.
The trial shed light on the pervasiveness of violence against women in Pakistan, which usually affects the lower and middle classes.
Hundreds of women are killed in Pakistan each year in similar cases, and the numbers of those subjected to violence and sexual assaults are growing.
The court also directed Zahir to pay 500,000 Pakistani Rupees as compensation to the legal heir of the deceased, The Express Tribune reported.
Since the death penalty sentenced by the Sessions Court is subject to confirmation by the Islamabad High Court before being implemented, Judge Rabbani said Zahir can appeal against the verdict within the next seven days, the report said.
Shaukat Mukadam, the father of the woman, said the trial court’s ruling was a victory for justice.