The counsel for Zahir Jaffer, the main accused in the Noor Mukadam murder case, has filed a petition in an Islamabad court seeking the formation of a medical board to determine his client’s mental health, Dawn reported on Wednesday.
Additional Sessions Judge Ata Rabbani presided over the hearing on Wednesday during which the primary accused’s counsel Sikandar Zulqarnain Saleem filed the petition, saying his client “is suffering from severe mental ailment which is necessary to be determined through an authorised medical board according to the commands of legislature and local and international law”.
Zahir “is a chronic patient of mental disorder/schizoaffective disorder due to drug psychosis and the same was the position at the time of his arrest on [July 20]”, the petition said.
The petition contended that the judge himself observed Zahir’s state of mind during his appearance before the court.
Last month, Zahir was twice removed from the court for hurling abuses at the presiding judge and the judge had warned Zahir in a written order that his court appearances would be disallowed if he continues his outbursts and does not rectify his behaviour.
During the proceedings on Wednesday, the defence counsels also concluded cross-examination of a prosecution witness.
Zahir, co-accused Zakir Jaffer, and accused Iftikhar and Jan Muhammad were also produced in the court of the additional sessions judge. However they were sent back to the Bakhshi Khana (prisoners’ room in court) after their attendance.
The defence counsels completed cross-examination of prosecution witness Dr Hammad. A lady doctor Anam also recorded her statement and affirmed that she had taken blood samples of co-accused Amjad, Dilip Kumar, Samar Abbas, Abdul Haq, Tahir Zahoor, and Wamiq Riaz.
The doctor confirmed that she had taken blood samples of Muhammad Iftikhar and Jameel on August 15. “No identification mark was written, neither any identity was confirmed,” the witness added.
The counsel of Tahir Zahoor, a co-accused in the case, pleaded to the court for summoning the PIMS doctor as a witness, that had conducted medical test of Amjad, an employee of Therapy Works.
The court later adjourned further hearing of the case till December 8.
The grisly murder, in which Noor Mukadam was beheaded, had taken place on July 20 in Islamabad’s F-7 area. Noor was the daughter of Shaukat Mukadam, who had served as Pakistan’s ambassador to South Korea and Kazakhstan.
The Islamabad police had arrested suspect Zahir Zakir Jaffer on the night of July 20 from his house where, according to Noor’s parents, he had killed her with a sharp instrument and severed her head.
