Zahir Zakir Jaffer, convicted of the brutal murder and rape of Noor Mukadam in July 2021, is now seeking a presidential mercy plea. Documents seen by Dawn.com reveal that the jail superintendent has formally requested a medical and psychiatric board to assess Jaffer’s mental and physical condition before submitting the petition to the President under Article 45 of the Constitution .
Noor, aged 27, was mercilessly tortured and decapitated at Jaffer’s residence in Islamabad. He received the death sentence under Section 302B (premeditated murder), which was upheld by both the trial court and the Islamabad High Court. In May, Pakistan’s Supreme Court also confirmed the death sentence for murder, while addressing the rape charge under Section 376. With his appeal dismissed, Jaffer is now left with only the option to request clemency .
On July 8 and again on July 14, the superintendent of Adiala Jail wrote to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), urging the formation of a joint medical and psychiatric board to evaluate Jaffer. Responding to this, PIMS confirmed that the board will consist of Dr Shafqat Nawaz from psychiatry and Dr Amir Naveed from neurology.
The evaluation is a required step before the formal submission of a mercy plea. The process aims to determine whether Jaffer is mentally and physically fit to file the petition. Meanwhile, public outcry continues over the killing — Noor’s father had urged the Supreme Court in October last year to hear the case, which was delayed for over 18 months .
This latest move concludes the legal appeals, leaving only the mercy petition. Many are watching closely, as Noor’s family and supporters hope that justice will endure and that this solemn chapter of violence against women in Pakistan will be properly closed.
