Noor Mukadam case: Crimes against women betrayal of divine and national values, SC says

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has emphasized that as an Islamic Republic, it is the country's duty to ensure exemplary behavior in protecting women's rights, treating any violation as a betrayal of both divine law and national values. This was explained in a 12-page judgment upholding the death sentence of Jaffer for the 2021 murder of Noor Mukadam.

Noor, 27, was found brutally murdered at Jaffer's upscale residence in Sector F-7/4 on July 20, 2021. Initially sentenced to death, Jaffer's review petition was dismissed by a three-judge bench on June 4, 2025, leading to the confirmation of his death penalty. The court found Jaffer guilty of rape, sentencing him to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs200,000.

The judgment noted that reviewing court judgments or orders is not an appeal in disguise and does not provide a forum for rehearing cases, re-arguing matters, reappraising evidence, or reopening concluded questions of fact. The court also expressed grave concern over the increasing instances of femicide, which often involve a systematic continuum of gender-motivated violence.

Global data shows that in 2024, around 50,000 women and girls were killed by an intimate partner or an immediate family member. The court highlighted that women are statistically more vulnerable to violence and abuse within the private sphere rather than the domestic setting.