‘Living relationship’ concept harmful to society, remarks Justice Najafi in Zahir Jaffer case

By Muhammad MubashirPublished On 26 Nov 2025

Noor, 27, was found murdered at a residence in Islamabad’s upscale Sector F-7/4 on July 20, 2021. A first information report (FIR) was registered later the same day against Zahir Jaffer, who was arrested from the site of the murder.

In a seven-page additional note, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi stated that he fully agrees with the verdict but has recorded some supplementary reasons.

Justice Najafi noted that all evidence against Zahir Jaffer is part of the official record.

He further remarked that the concept of a living relationship is extremely harmful to society.

According to his note, such relationships between men and women not only lead to moral decay but are also contrary to Islamic teachings. He added that the younger generation must learn a lesson from this tragic incident.

Earlier this year, a three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Hashim Kakar, also comprising Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, announced the verdict.

The court kept Zahir Jaffer’s death sentence unchanged in the murder case, while commuted his death penalty into life sentence in the rape case and acquitted him from the charge of kidnapping.

The supreme court bench also ordered acquittal of Zahir Jaffer’s watchman and gardener. “The prison term they have gone through, has been their punishment”, the bench observed.

In February 2022, a district and sessions judge convicted Zahir Jaffer of murdering Noor Mukadam, awarding him the death penalty along with 25 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs200,000. His household staff, Iftikhar and Jameel, co-accused in the case, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison, while all other suspects, including Jaffer’s parents and TherapyWorks employees, were acquitted.