| Pakistan fails pretty much covers it. That it’s women being failed serves them right for escaping purdah, amirite? |
for Noor's killer, Zahir Jaffer.''Nothing can bring Noor back, but this decision offers a sense of justice —not just for her, but for every woman in Pakistain who's been told her life doesn't matter,'' Zaidi told IPS over the phone from Islamabad. ''It's been a long and painful journey—four years of fighting through the sessions court, high court, and finally, the Supreme Court.''
Echoing a similar sentiment, rights activist Zohra Yusuf said, ''It's satisfying that the Supreme Court upheld the verdict,'' but added that the crime's brutality left little room for relief. ''It was so horrific that one can't even celebrate the judgment,'' she said, referring to the ''extreme'' sadism Noor endured—tortured with a knuckleduster, raped, and beheaded with a sharp weapon on July 20, 2021.
Yusuf also pointed out that the ''background'' of those involved is what drew national attention.
Noor Mukadam, 27, was the daughter of a former ambassador, while Zahir Jaffer, 30, was a dual Pakistain-US national from a wealthy and influential family. Her father and friends fought to keep the case in the public eye, refusing to let it fade into yet another forgotten statistic.
Still, the response has been muted — many, including Yusuf, oppose the death penalty.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistain recorded at least 174 death sentence
...the barbaric practice of sentencing a murderer to be punished for as long as his/her/its victim is dead...s in 2024 — a sharp rise from 102 in 2023 — yet not a single execution was reportedly carried out. The last known hanging was in 2019, when Imran Ali was executed for the rape and murder of six-year-old Zainab Ansari.
However,
the man who has no enemies isn't anybody and has never done anything...
Noor's father, Shaukat Ali Mukadam, has repeatedly stated that the death sentence for Zahir Jaffer was ''very necessary,'' emphasising, ''This isn't just about my daughter — it's about all of Pakistain's daughters,'' referencing the countless acts of violence against women that go unpunished every day.
The HRCP's 2024 annual report painted a grim picture of gender-based violence against women in Pakistain.
According to the National Police Bureau, at least 405 women were killed in so-called honor crimes. Domestic violence remained widespread, resulting in 1,641 murders and over 3,385 reports of physical assault within households.
Sexual violence showed no sign of slowing. Police records documented 4,175 reported rapes, 733 gang rapes, 24 cases of custodial sexual assault, and 117 incidents of incest-related abuse — a chilling reminder of the dangers women face in both public and private spaces. HRCP's media monitoring also revealed that at least 13 transgender individuals experienced sexual violence — one was even killed by her family in the name of honor.