Islamabad police have sought the interior ministry’s approval to place Zahir Jaffar, the prime suspect in the murder case of Noor Mukadam, on the Exit Control List (ECL) to stop him from leaving the country.
According to details, the Islamabad police have recommended the placement of Zahir Zakir Jaffer on the ECL and sent an application to the chief commissioner for the purpose.
Sources said the chief commissioner had received the application and forwarded it to the interior ministry for further progress on the matter. “The interior ministry will place Zahir Jaffar on ECL after an approval of cabinet committee in this regard,” they said.
Noor, 27, was murdered in the federal capital on Tuesday in the city’s F-7 area, according to police. The gruesome incident sparked a nationwide campaign seeking justice for her, with #JusticeforNoor becoming a top trend on Twitter.
Noor Mukadam, daughter of a former diplomat, was beheaded after the murder, the post mortem report confirmed. The report obtained by the police on Friday revealed that the victim had assault marks on her body and was stabbed several times before getting slaughtered.
A case under Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code has been registered against Jaffer at the Kohsar Police Station.
‘NO CONCESSIONS’ IN PROBE: Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked Inspector General of Police Qazi Jameel-ur-Rehman “not to make any concessions” in the investigation against the suspect in the heinous murder of Noor, said PM’s aide Shahbaz Gil.
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”.
‘NOT A PERSON WITH MENTAL DISABILITY’: In a press conference, Noor’s father Shaukat Mukadam said that Jaffer, the prime suspect, was caught with a murder weapon. He said that the suspect has no history of mental disability.
“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.
‘STATEMENTS RECORDED’: Meanwhile, the IGP, following a meeting with the investigation team at the Central Police Office, directed the team to obtain the criminal history — if any — of the suspect from England and the United States.
Briefing the IGP Islamabad about the progress in the case, 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.
Expressing satisfaction over the investigation thus 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.
