Islamabad court fixes Oct 14 for indictment of suspects in Noor murder case

• Islamabad district and sessions court fixes October 14 for indictment of suspects for Noor Mukadam's murder.
• Police bring six suspects, including prime suspect Zahir Zakir Jaffer, to the district sessions court.
• Court directs concerned officials to ensure the suspects’ appearance before the judiciary on the said date.

ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Thursday fixed October 14 as the date for the indictment of suspects for Noor Mukadam's murder.

During today's hearing, police brought six suspects, including prime suspect Zahir Zakir Jaffer, to the district sessions court while Therapyworks Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tahir Zahoor Ahmed among six other suspects, who had been granted bail, themselves appeared before the court.

During the court proceedings, District and Sessions judge Atta Rabbani rejected the suspects’ plea seeking a copy of digital proves relating to the gruesome murder of Noor Mukadam and set October 14 as the date for the indictment of the accused.

The court directed the concerned officials to ensure the suspects’ appearance before the judiciary on the said date and adjourned the hearing till October 14.

A day earlier, the court could not frame charges on the suspects in the Noor Mukadam murder case after the suspects had filed new petitions.

The counsel of Tahir Zahoor Ahmed had objected that certain documents were not provided with the copy of the challan to them.

Police submit challan

Earlier on September 9, police had submitted the challan in the Noor Mukadam murder case to a district and sessions court in Islamabad .

The court had summoned all the suspects, including prime suspect Zahir Jaffer, in the murder case, for the next hearing on September 23.

Copies of the challan would be distributed after the attendance of all the suspects at the next hearing, the court had said.

The court had also ordered the six suspects, who are employees of Therapy Works, to appear at the next hearing,

Advocate Raja Rizwan Abbasi had informed the court that he would move a plea seeking an in-camera hearing of the case, to which the judge remarked that he would decide it as per law after it is filed.

The murder

Noor Mukadam, a 27-year-old woman, was raped and murdered with a sharp instrument on July 20 within the limits of the ​Kohsar police station in Islamabad. A case of murder was later registered at the same police station by Noor's father, former Pakistani ambassador Shaukat Ali Mukadam.

The grisly murder, in which Mukadam was beheaded, took place on July 20 in Islamabad's F-7 area.

The Islamabad police arrested suspect Zahir Jaffer on the night of July 20 from his house where, according to Noor's parents, he killed her with a sharp instrument and severed her head.

The gruesome incident sparked a nationwide campaign seeking justice for her, with #JusticeforNoor becoming a top trend on Twitter.