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ISLAMABAD, Nov 26 (APP):The Supreme Court has observed that trends such as “living relationships” are contrary to religious, social and legal values. The remarks were made in an additional note authored by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi in the Noor Mukadam murder case (Criminal PLA No. 467/2023), in which he concurred with the majority judgment.
In the written order approved for reporting on Wednesday, Justice Najafi stated that all evidence and circumstances in the case prove the guilt of the accused, Zahir Jaffer, beyond any shadow of doubt. He noted that minor delays in the registration of the FIR, the gap before the post-mortem, or slight discrepancies in the timeline of events had no bearing on the core facts of the case, as the chain of evidence remained complete, solid, and interconnected.
According to the additional note, the statements of the victim’s father, the witnesses, and the police corroborated one another, while CCTV footage clearly recorded the movements of both the accused and the victim. Justice Najafi wrote that the footage showed the victim jumping from the building, attempting to flee in an injured condition, and the accused forcibly dragging her back inside — scenes that revealed the true picture of the crime.
The court held that the DNA report matched the accused with the victim, and her mobile phone was also recovered from his possession. The accused’s plea of innocence on grounds of mental illness was rejected, as no medical or legal evidence existed to exempt him from criminal responsibility.
Justice Najafi described the crime as extremely heinous, leaving no room for leniency. He further wrote that the case had exposed the tragic consequences of lifestyles such as living relationships, which run counter to societal, religious, and legal norms.
The court concluded that the prosecution presented complete and irrefutable evidence, making the upholding of the conviction unavoidable. However, the death sentence under Section 376 was converted into life imprisonment in accordance with the majority judgment.