ISLAMABAD: A local court here on Thursday dismissed the post-arrest bail applications of Zahir Jaffer’s parents and observed that they abetted in the murder of Noor Mukadam and attempted to conceal the material evidence.

Additional district and sessions judge Mohammad Sohail announced the decision that he had rejected the post-arrest bail pleas of Zahir Jaffer’s parents Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Zakir Jaffer.

Initially, the police registered an FIR on the complaint of the deceased’s father Shaukat Mukadam and had arrested the alleged killer, Zahir Jaffer.

“During the course of investigation, the frightful role of certain other persons, including the present petitioners/accused, got purportedly unveiled who aided the principal accused through wilful concealment of facts and intentionally omitted to timely report the matter to police…they facilitated their son to commit murder,” said the court verdict.

According to the verdict, the parents “attempted to cause disappearance of evidences”, and as such, considering the aforementioned positions as well as a supplementary statement of complainant recorded on July 24, offences under section 109 (abetment), 118 (concealing evidence), 176 (not disclosing crime to police), 201 (disappearing evidence) and 511 (attempt to commit crime) were also inserted against them.

Observes they abetted in the murder of Noor Mukadam, tried to conceal evidence

The judge observed that “call data record (CDR) of the principal accused, present petitioners/accused and certain other persons had already been collected during the course of investigation, which, while being put in juxtaposition with other evidence on record, sufficiently connects the petitioners/accused with the commission of alleged offences.”

Recollecting the incident, the court noted: “On the day of sorrowful happening, the victim/deceased, most probably under fear of death from the hands of Zahir Jaffer (i.e. the principal accused), made a desperate attempt to escape from the clutches of principal accused by jumping from the first floor of the petitioners’ house. However, she was caught and dragged in…the present petitioners were in constant contact with their son despite getting prompt information of the aforementioned occurrence, sent personnel from a rehabilitation centre instead of immediately reporting the matter to the local police.”

The judge concluded that “as such they not only caused abetment, but also made utmost efforts to wipe off the evidences of alleged murder committed by their son, adding that “There is sufficient incriminating material available on the record to connect the present petitioners/accused with the commission of alleged offences.”

Judge Mohammad Sohail observed that the case laws cited by the defence counsel did not relate in the case in hand and subsequently dismissed the post-arrest bail petitions.

Counsel of Jaffer’s family said that the complainant Shaukat Mukadam, father of Noor Mukadam, had lodged an FIR with the Kohsar police station at 11:30pm on July 20 and did not nominate Zahir’s parents as accused.

He said that Zahir’s parents condemned the murder on the day first and had expressed solidarity with the aggrieved family.

According to the lawyer, the police implicated parents of Zahir Jaffer on the basis of latter’s testimony recorded before the investigating officer under section 161 of the criminal procedure code.

He insisted that his client did not know what was happening in his house.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2021