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In a strong rebuttal issued Thursday, friends of murder victim Noor Mukadam categorically denied that she had ever lived with her convicted killer, Zahir Jaffer, addressing what they called persistent misinformation surrounding the high-profile case.
“Noor Mukadam did not live with Zahir Jaffer,” stated a post on the Justice for Noor Instagram account, which is managed by Mukadam’s friends to share case updates. The post pointedly asked, “Does visiting someone’s house and being held hostage by them count as ‘living with them’?”
The clarification comes in response to controversial remarks made by Supreme Court Justice Ali Baqar Najafi in an additional note to the court’s recent decision. Justice Najafi characterized the case as “a direct result of a vice spreading in the upper society which we know as ‘living relationship'” and described such relationships as a “direct revolt against Almighty Allah.”
Mukadam, 27, was found murdered at Jaffer’s Islamabad residence in July 2021. In a significant legal development this May, a three-judge Supreme Court bench upheld the death sentence originally awarded to Jaffer by an Islamabad trial court in 2022.
Justice Najafi’s comments, which appeared in a supplementary note uploaded to the Supreme Court website, sparked immediate backlash from various quarters. The Senate’s Functional Committee on Human Rights formally condemned the remarks as “ridiculous,” while public outcry mounted across social media platforms.
The Justice for Noor account expressed profound frustration at having to repeatedly counter this narrative. “Having to repeat this again and again is not just frustrating – it is painful and deeply disrespectful,” the post stated, highlighting the emotional toll of such misconceptions on those still grieving Mukadam’s brutal murder.
The post emphasized that the source of the misinformation was Jaffer himself, describing him as someone who “claimed he didn’t speak Urdu (a lie), gave contradictory statements throughout interrogation, tried to blame everyone but himself, including his own staff, and committed the heinous acts of kidnapping, torturing, raping and murdering Noor.”
The statement questioned society’s readiness to “believe a murderer’s words over a victim’s dignity and her family’s truth,” suggesting a troubling pattern in how victims of violent crimes are perceived and discussed in public discourse.
The persistent circulation of this false narrative creates multiple harms, according to Mukadam’s friends. They identified four specific consequences: distortion of Mukadam’s truth and story, victim-blaming that shifts accountability away from the perpetrator, retraumatization of the bereaved family, and reduction of Mukadam’s humanity “to rumors and narratives she cannot defend herself against.”
The case has become a lightning rod in Pakistani society for discussions about gender-based violence, justice for victims, and cultural attitudes toward relationships. Activists have cited the Mukadam case as emblematic of broader challenges facing women’s safety in Pakistan.
Legal experts note that Justice Najafi’s remarks, while not affecting the court’s unanimous decision to uphold Jaffer’s death sentence, reflect how personal moral perspectives can sometimes enter judicial opinions, potentially influencing public perception of cases involving gender-based violence.
The controversy underscores the ongoing struggle by Mukadam’s family and supporters to preserve her dignity and ensure that factual information about the case prevails over damaging misconceptions, even three years after her death.
As the legal process moves toward its conclusion with Jaffer’s death sentence upheld, the debate around Justice Najafi’s comments and the narrative surrounding Mukadam’s life and death continues to highlight tensions between traditional values, judicial independence, and advocacy for victims of violent crime in Pakistan’s evolving social landscape.
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15 Comments
This is a tragic case that highlights the need for greater awareness and understanding around domestic violence. Noor Mukadam’s friends are right to push back on the misleading narrative around her relationship with her killer.
It’s important to focus on the humanity of the victim and not get caught up in unsubstantiated rumors. Noor deserves justice, not victim-blaming.
This case is a stark reminder of the need for greater sensitivity and nuance when discussing gender-based violence. Noor’s friends are right to push back on the harmful narratives that seek to diminish her humanity.
This case underscores the critical importance of challenging victim-blaming narratives and upholding the dignity of those whose lives are tragically cut short by violence. Noor deserves to be remembered for who she was, not defined by unsubstantiated claims.
Kudos to Noor’s friends for speaking out and setting the record straight. Too often, victims of gender-based violence have their reputations and relationships unfairly scrutinized instead of the perpetrator’s actions being the sole focus.
It’s heartening to see Noor’s friends actively disputing the misinformation surrounding this case. Preserving her humanity in the face of such a devastating loss is a powerful act of compassion and justice.
Noor Mukadam’s friends are doing important work in sharing accurate information about this case and defending her reputation. Victims of violence should never have their personal lives scrutinized in this way.
The Supreme Court justice’s comments about ‘living relationships’ being a ‘revolt against Almighty Allah’ are concerning and seem to place moral judgment over the facts of the case. Victims should not be further diminished in this way.
I hope the court proceedings can remain focused on the evidence and the pursuit of justice, without making assumptions or passing judgment on Noor’s personal life.
The Supreme Court justice’s remarks about ‘living relationships’ being a ‘revolt against Almighty Allah’ are highly problematic and risk further marginalizing victims of gender-based violence. This case deserves to be judged on the facts, not moral pronouncements.
I agree. Noor’s friends are right to push back on these types of judgmental and misguided comments, which do nothing to advance the cause of justice and accountability.
It’s heartening to see Noor’s friends actively working to counter the misinformation and uphold her memory with dignity. Victims of violence should never have their personal lives unfairly scrutinized in this way.
The comments from the Supreme Court justice are deeply concerning and risk further victimizing Noor Mukadam. I commend her friends for their efforts to counter the misinformation and uphold her memory with compassion.
Absolutely. Noor deserves justice, not judgmental rhetoric about her personal life. Her friends are doing important work in setting the record straight.
This is a tragic case that demands a clear-eyed, evidence-based approach, not moralizing about ‘living relationships.’ Noor’s friends are right to insist on preserving her humanity and dignity in the face of this horrific crime.