{
  "id": 2197969,
  "title": "Noor Mukadam case: Crimes against women betrayal of divine and national values, SC says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/noor-mukadam-case-crimes-against-women-betrayal-of-divine-and",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-20T18:34:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2024151/noor-mukadam-case-crimes-against-women-betrayal-of-divine-and-national-values-sc-says"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Supreme Court of Pakistan has firmly stated that safeguarding women's rights is a core constitutional duty of the nation, viewing any violation as a direct affront to both divine and national values rather than merely an escalation in femicide cases. This perspective was articulated in a comprehensive 12-page judgment, explaining why a recent review petition was rejected, thereby preserving the death sentence for Jaffer in the 2021 murder of 27-year-old Noor Mukadam, the court confirmed on May 20, 2025.\n\nOn July 20, 2021, Noor Mukadam's body was discovered at Jaffer's upscale residence in Sector F-7/4, leading to Jaffer's arrest as the primary suspect. Subsequently, a trial court sentenced Jaffer to death, alongside a 25-year rigorous imprisonment term and a Rs200,000 fine, for both murder and rape. The Islamabad High Court upheld this decision on March 14, 2025.\n\nThe Supreme Court's 12-page judgment, authored by Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, clarified that an Article 188 review petition is not an appeal, prohibiting the opportunity to re-examine the case or evidence. Review jurisdiction is limited, only applicable when evident errors are made or when necessary to safeguard justice or prevent court abuse. The error must be patent and self-evident, not requiring detailed analysis or rebuttal.\n\nThe court dismissed Jaffer's plea of mental illness, finding no substantial evidence in the reviewed documents, which included a letter from Dr. Philip Hopley, a London-based consultant psychiatrist, stating that Jaffer had experienced a drug-induced psychotic episode in 2015. His condition improved after six months of therapy, rendering the plea unfounded.\n\nThe judgment also expressed deep concern over the rising trend of femicide, emphasizing that these crimes are typically not isolated events but rather the result of a pattern of gender-motivated violence. According to international data from the UNODC and UN Women, approximately 50,000 women and girls died in 2024 due to such violence, often perpetrated by intimate partners or immediate family members. This data contradicts the notion that women are safest within domestic settings, highlighting the private sphere as the most dangerous environment for women's safety.",
  "summary": "ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday emphasised that, as an Islamic Republic, Pakistan’s constitutional duty was to ensure that society exhibited exemplary behaviour in protecting, honouring and upholding the rights of women, treating any violation of their sanctity as a betrayal of both divine law and national values rather than simply witnessing an escalation in cases of femicide. The…",
  "key_points": [
    "Supreme Court emphasizes safeguarding women's rights as constitutional duty.",
    "Noor Mukadam's death sentence upheld in 2025 case.",
    "Court dismisses mental illness plea, citing lack of evidence."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "Noor Mukadam case: Crimes against women betrayal of divine and national values, SC says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/noor-mukadam-case-crimes-against-women-betrayal-of-divine-and-2201539",
        "published": "2026-08-20T18:34:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}