Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday has directed the Inspector General of Police for Islamabad Qazi Jameel-ur-Rehman “not to make any concessions” and observe zero tolerance while investigating the murder of Noor Mukadam, the daughter of former Pakistani diplomat Shaukat Mukadam.
The news was shared by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill on Friday. Noor, 27, was murdered in the federal capital on Tuesday, in the city’s F-7 area, according to police.
The horrific incident has sparked a nationwide campaign that seeks justice for her, with #JusticeforNoor becoming a top trend on Twitter and other social media platforms. Shaukat Mukadam served as Pakistan’s ambassador to South Korea and Kazakhstan.
Zahir Zakir Jaffer, the son of a Karachi-based business tycoon, has been arrested and detained for allegedly murdering the young woman. Gill said that the prime minister is “personally monitoring” the case and has asked the IGP for a report.
“The prime minister has ordered that justice be provided to Noor Mukadam’s family,” the aide said. “We all have daughters. I would like to ask the Opposition to stand united with us on this front,” he added.
He requested the courts to “meet all the requirements of the law” and for the authorities to investigate the crime “on merit”. Gill also spoke of Noor’s mother, whom he quoted as saying that her daughter was a “soft-hearted girl” who had been “brutally tortured”.
He said that had the police been timely alerted to the killer’s actions, “then perhaps her life could have been saved”. The premier’s aide said that as the investigation proceeds and things become clearer, “the facts of the case will be shared with the nation”.
He said that “Noor can never be brought back, but what can be done is justice”.
Gill said that besides the prime minister being personally invested in the outcome of the investigation, Minister for Interior Shaikh Rasheed and Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari are also in touch with the police and seeking updates off and on. “We will not be sharing any details until the police complete their investigation,” he said.
“Please give some time to the police to complete their probe. Rest assured, justice will be done,” the aide said.
‘Not a person with mental disability’
Earlier, Noor’s father, addressed a press conference and thanked the prime minister, Gill and Mazari for taking personal interest in the case. “This is not a case where the suspect escaped. He was caught and caught with a weapon,” Mukadam said.
He said that Jaffer is “not a person with a mental disability”. “If such a person was employed as the director of a company, then his parents, too, must be made part of the investigation,” Mukadam said.
“My daughter was a very sweet and kind-hearted girl. Our family has been crying badly since yesterday,” he said. Mukadam said that he has served the country as an ambassador and only seeks justice.
“This is a clear-cut case. The killer is standing right before us,” he said. The former diplomat said that the murder was “witnessed by the gate-keeper” of the house.
Suspect’s name to be added to ECL
Meanwhile, the IGP, following a meeting with the investigation team at the Central Police Office, directed it to approach the concerned agencies to add name of the suspect to the Exit Control List (ECL).
The police chief also directed the team to obtain his criminal history, if any, from England and the United States.
The meeting was attended by DIG Operation Afzaal Ahmad Kausar, SSP Operation Dr Syed Mustafa Tanveer, SSP Investigation Ata-ur-Rehman, SP City Zone Rana Abdul Wahab, and ASP Kohsar Amna Baig, among other officers.
Briefing the IGP Islamabad about the progress of the case, the head of the investigation team, SSP Investigation Ata-ur-Rehman, said that the statements of the victim’s parents, and the suspect’s father, besides two security guards, have been recorded.
A forensic team has also provided evidence after their investigation, the police chief was told.
The IGP said that all the evidence obtained from the incident “should be forensic”, adding that the Therapy Works team should be approached as part of the probe. It bears mentioning that Therapy Works is a drug rehabilitation centre where Jaffer is believed to have sought treatment.
He expressed satisfaction over the investigation that has been taken up was far, the IGP said that all the requirements of justice should be fulfilled and no pressure or recommendation should be taken into account so that the culprit is awarded exemplary punishment.
