Jaffer's parents not nominated in Noor Mukadam murder case, lawyer tells court

• "How did Jaffer’s parents become suspects?" asks counsel.
• Zakir Jaffer and his wife were included in the case on the basis of their son’s statement recorded in police custody, argues lawyer Khawaja Haris.
• Zahir Jaffer's parents were arrested on July 4 after they failed to submit their bail bonds.

ISLAMABAD: There is no mention of the parents of Zahir Jaffer, the main suspect in the rape and murder of Noor Mukadam, in the FIR of the case so how were their names added to the list of suspects, questioned Khawaja Haris, the counsel of Zahir Jaffer’s parents, in court Wednesday.

Zakir Jaffer and his wife Asmat Adamjee’s counsel Khawaja Haris started his arguments after Islamabad High Court judge Justice Aamer Farooq resumed the hearing of their bail pleas.

Zahir Jaffer was in Islamabad and his parents were in Karachi when Noor Mukadam was killed, Haris argued, asking how Jaffer's parents had been named as suspects in Noor's murder case.

Zakir and Asmat were granted pre-arrest bail in the murder case, but they were arrested on July 4 after they failed to submit their bail bonds. Zahir Jaffer’s parents were sent to jail on judicial remand on July 27. Their pleas for post-arrest bail were dismissed on August 5.

The lawyer told the court that the names of Zakir and his wife Asmat were included in the case on the basis of their son’s statement recorded in police custody.

He said that Zakir and Asmat were made suspects as Zakir Jaffer had made two calls to them on July 20.

Charges of hiding evidence, crime facilitation and other charges against them were included in the case later, he added.

In England, it is a practice that the suspect’s statement is recorded during interrogation, said Justice Aamer Farooq, adding that the video shows the suspects expressions while answering the questions.

Contrary to England, the statement is recorded in another language and later it is translated into English in Pakistan, he added.

Court serves notice to Zahir Jaffer's parents

Earlier, on September 13, the Islamabad High Court had served a notice to the parents of Zahir Jaffer, the main suspect in the Noor Mukadam rape and murder case, and adjourned the hearing till September 15.

During the hearing, the court had directed Advocate Shah Khawar, the counsel for Noor's family, to submit a power of attorney today.

The lawyer had responded that he would submit a power of attorney on behalf of his client Shaukat Mukadam, Noor's father, that day (Monday).

The application for cancellation of bail of the employees of Therapy Works was also being heard, Khawar had said, adding that if the court deemed it appropriate, it could hear all the petitions together.

Justice Farooq, however, had said that the rules to grant and cancel bail are different.

He had said the court will hear the two petitions separately.

If the hearing was to be adjourned, then adjourn it till tomorrow, said the petitioner's lawyer, Khawaja Harris.

The court then ordered Khawar to submit a power of attorney and adjourned the hearing till September 15. A notice was also issued on the bail application of Zahir Jaffer's mother Asmat Zakir again.