Yesterday, women in Pakistan cheered after the Supreme Court rejected Zahir Jaffer’s appeal and reinstated his death sentence for the horrific rape and murder of Noor Mukadam. Feminist activists and social media users hailed this as a historic decision that centred around justice for women.
Noor Mukadam was a 27 year old Pakistani-Jordan woman who was found murdered at Zahir Jaffer’s mansion on July 21 2021. The medical examination revealed that she was brutally tortured and raped before being murdered and her head was decapitated from her body. Jaffer was immediately arrested on the scene of the crime and on February 2022, the Islamabad High Court awarded him a death sentence for murder, and 25 years in prison for rape. Jaffer had then appealed the decision at the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2024.
“The Supreme Court of Pakistan has upheld Zahir Jaffer’s death sentence. After 4 years of struggle, we finally have #justiceforNoor. This verdict is a reminder that women’s lives matter and their voices will be heard. This is not just for Noor – it’s for all women of Pakistan,” wrote the Justice for Noor X account.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has upheld Zahir Jaffer’s death sentence. After 4 years of struggle, we finally have #justiceforNoor. This verdict is a reminder that women’s lives matter and their voices will be heard.
This is not just for Noor – it’s for all women of Pakistan.— Justice for Noor (@justicefornoor) May 20, 2025
Pakistani actor Osman Khalid Butt celebrated the decision by pointing out that it set a powerful precedent that held an abuser accountable despite his family’s social and financial connections.
“When discussing the Supreme Court ruling, it’s incredibly important you center the conversation on the perpetrator’s privilege, not Noor’s. The assumption that both parties were ‘equally powerful’, and that Noor’s background alone secured her justice, is not only incorrect, it takes away from a landmark judgment. That Zahir’s conviction was upheld despite his family’s reach and legal resources is the real story,” wrote the ‘Chupke Chupke’ actor.
“A powerful precedent has been set: that no matter how influential the criminal’s family may be, no leniency will be shown when it comes to gender-based violence.
Read his complete statement below
When discussing the Supreme Court ruling, it’s incredibly important you center the conversation on the perpetrator’s privilege, not Noor’s. The assumption that both parties were ‘equally powerful’, and that Noor’s background alone secured her justice, is not only incorrect, it…
— Osman Khalid Butt 🇵🇸 (@aClockworkObi) May 20, 2025
