Pakistan SC upholds death penalty for man who beheaded girlfriend
What's the story
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has upheld the death sentence of Zahir Jaffer, a Pakistani-American man convicted of murdering his girlfriend, Noor Mukadam.
The incident took place in 2021 at Jaffer's home in Islamabad after Mukadam rejected his marriage proposal.
He brutally tortured her with a knuckle-duster and decapitated her with a "sharp-edged weapon."
Sentence details
Court commutes rape sentence, upholds murder conviction
The court upheld the death sentence for murder but commuted the rape sentence to life imprisonment.
Justice Hashim Kakar announced the decision, confirming that "the Supreme Court has decided to maintain the decision by the high court—that is the death penalty."
Jaffer's defense had argued he suffered from mental health issues, but this was rejected by both lower courts and now upheld by Pakistan's top court.
Reaction
Mukadam's family and friends react to court's decision
Shafaq Zaidi, a childhood friend of Mukadam, welcomed the court's decision as a victory for women in Pakistan.
"This is a victory for all the women of Pakistan," she said outside the court. She added that it shows confidence in the legal process.
The case had sparked outrage among women's rights activists across Pakistan and beyond, with many calling for justice for Mukadam.
Family's role
Jaffer's family acquitted, staff sentenced for complicity
Jaffer's parents were acquitted of covering up the crime.
Two staff members were convicted of abetting the murder in 2022, but their convictions were reversed on Tuesday, and the judge stated that they might be released.
Mukadam, the daughter of a former ambassador, had made repeated attempts to escape that night but was blocked by the two members.
Numbers
Case was rushed by trial court
Because the murder involved a couple from Pakistan's affluent elite, there was pressure for the trial to end quickly in a nation where cases can drag on for years.
Throughout the trial, the judge made derogatory remarks about Mukadam for spending time alone with Jaffar when they weren't married, with Justice Kakar saying it was "against our values."
The Asma Jahangir Legal Aid Cell, which helps vulnerable women, says the conviction rate for violence against women is less than 3%.