SC declares Jaffer a ruthless killer, rejects mercy plea

The Supreme Court (SC) issued its detailed written verdict in the high-profile Noor Mukadam murder case, upholding the death sentence of convict Zahir Jaffer and reaffirming the admissibility of video evidence under the “silent witness” doctrine.

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A three-member bench headed by Justice Hashim Khan Kakar, and comprising Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, ruled that authenticated video footage is admissible even in the absence of eyewitnesses and can be relied upon for conviction if its source is reliable and unaltered.

The 13-page judgment marks the conclusion of a case that shocked the nation in 2021 and became emblematic of violence against women and elite impunity in Pakistan.