An Islamabad court resumed on Thursday the hearing of the high-profile Noor Mukadam murder case wherein the police submitted the challan relating to the case.
Prime suspect Zahir Jaffer, his parents and three others appeared before District and Sessions Judge Atta Rabbani. Rabbani had the case transferred to him from Sessions Judge Kamran Basharat Mufti.
The court directed all the suspects, including Zahir Jaffer and his parents as well as Therapy Works CEO and five his employees, who are out on bail, to appear on next hearing on Sept 23 when they will provided copies of the case challan.
The judge ruled that copies of the charge sheet will be provided once all the suspects are in attendance.
Advocate Raja Rizwan Abbasi, the counsel for Zahir’s parents, informed the court that he would move a plea seeking in-camera hearing of the case, to which the judge remarked that he would decide it as per law after it is filed.
Abbasi also said that the six Therapyworks employees were given bail and the court should issue a summons notice to them.
He also said a request for an in-camera hearing would be submitted to which the judge responded: “The application will be looked at in accordance with the law once it is submitted.”
Zahir Jaffer has been found guilty in the case challan with his parents and Therapy Works CEO and employees as accomplices. On July 20, in a grisly murder, Noor Mukadam had been put to death allegedly by her friend Zahir Jaffer, in the vicinity of Islamabad’s Kohsar police station.
Thursday’s challan submission came after a considerable delay, with the deadline having already expired in mid-August.
Police officers involved in the investigation had told Dawn on condition of anonymity that under the law, the challan of a case should be submitted to the court within 14 days after the suspect is sent on judicial remand.
The main suspect in the murder case, Zahir, was sent on judicial remand on Aug 2.
When contacted, investigating officer of the case, Inspector Abdul Sattar, had confirmed to Dawn that neither a complete nor an incomplete challan had been submitted to the court. He said some reports were awaited which had resulted in the delay.
“Not submitting the challan to the court within the legal deadline is a violation of the law,” another officer had said, adding the investigators should have followed the rules.
with additional input from INP
