Outcry after suspect in Noor Mukadam murder taken to Islamabad hospital after headache complaint

Zahir Zakir Jaffer, main suspect in the gruesome July 20 murder of Noor Mukadam, wearing handcuff is led by Islamabad police officers to the court in Islamabad, Pakistan, on July 31, 2021. (Photo courtesy: Social Media)
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Updated 04 August 2021
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Outcry after suspect in Noor Mukadam murder taken to Islamabad hospital after headache complaint

  • Doctors at PIMS say Zahir Jaffer was brought in on Wednesday afternoon for brief checkup, blood pressure and temperature were normal
  • Social media erupts in outcry over “special treatment” given to Jaffer because he came from a wealthy family and was a US national

ISLAMABAD: Zahir Zakir Jaffer, the key suspect in the grisly July 20 murder of Noor Mukadam, was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on Wednesday afternoon after he complained he had a headache, doctors at the hospital said, as social media erupted in outcry over special privileges for the wealthy US national.

Mukadam, the daughter of a former Pakistani diplomat, was found beheaded at a residence in Islamabad's upscale F-7/4 sector on July 20 in a case that has sparked public outrage and grabbed media attention unlike any other recent case.

Waseem Khawaja, a doctor at PIMS, confirmed to Arab News that Jaffer was brought to the hospital on Wednesday but discharged after a brief checkup.

"Zahir Jaffer was brought to the PIMS emergency room today afternoon for a checkup," Khawaja said. "He was checked for a headache and his blood pressure and temperature were also noted, which were found to be normal.”

The doctor added: “Nothing to be worried about, he was found to be in good health.”

Another doctor at the hospital, Deputy Executive Director Dr Zulfiqar Ghauri, also confirmed the news.

Pakistan’s local media first reported on the incident quoting unnamed sources, unleashing widespread condemnation from social media users who said Jaffer was being given special treatment because he belonged to the privileged elite society of Pakistan and was a US national.

“Unless every single prisoner in the Pakistani penal system goes to PIMS when they have a headache, this is a sick abuse of power,” author Fatima Bhutto wrote on Twitter. “Zahir Jaffer getting all the privileges of his wealth and influence in jail after his heinous crime is outrageous.”

 

 

“Is this facility available to the rest of the accused and prisoners as well or is it available only to rich accused?” digital and women’s rights activist Nighat Dad asked.

 

 

“Jail authorities will conveniently allow disadvantaged, under trial prisoners die in Jail when suffering from an ailment. You need to have deep pockets to get VIP treatment in jail. Let that sink in,” wrote Khadija Siddiqui, a young Pakistani law student who was stabbed 23 times in broad daylight by a former friend, who was later convicted for the crime.

 

 

Jaffer was arrested on the day he murdered Mukadam last month, on the eve of Eid Al-Aha, and remained in police custody on physical remand until this Monday, when he was sent on 14-day judicial remand to Adiala Jail in Islamabad's twin city of Rawalpindi. He will next be presented before a judicial magistrate on August 16.

Jeffer's parents — Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee — and two members of their household staff were arrested by Islamabad police on July 24 for "hiding evidence and being complicit in the crime."

The parents, sent to jail on judicial remand till August 9, have moved a bail petition against their detention. A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Wednesday reserved until tomorrow, Thursday, its decision on the bail plea.

"Today was the hearing for the bail of Zahir’s parents. Each parent was represented by a separate lawyer. Arguments were heard at length. The decision will be announced tomorrow morning," Mukadam's legal team said on an official Twitter account used to share case updates.

 

 

During Wednesday's hearing today, the parents' counsel, Raja Rizwan Abbasi, said Jaffer's parents had "publicly condemned the murder."

"We stand with the affected party, we don't stand with our son," local media quoted the counsel as telling the court.

He said the parents had not known what was happening in their house when Mukadam was there.

Within two weeks since Monday, police are bound by law to file a charge sheet (challan) in the court asking for Jaffer's trial to commence.

The gruesome murder has sent shockwaves across the country, stirring outrage over femicides and demands for justice. Many activists and social media users have repeatedly raised concerns that Jaffer might get a lenient sentence because of his wealthy background and US nationality.

In a July 27 Twitter post, the US Embassy in Islamabad clarified that US citizens in a foreign country were subject to local laws and while the embassy could check on their well-being and provide a list of lawyers if they were arrested abroad, it couldn’t provide legal advice, participate in court proceedings or effect their release.

On Sunday night, during a live Q&A session with the nation, Prime Minister Imran Khan assured the public: “If someone thinks he is a dual national and has US citizenship and will escape, let me tell you all that no one will be spared.”


Pakistan to use $1.4 billion IMF climate loan to expand green investment, fiscal space

Updated 6 sec ago
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Pakistan to use $1.4 billion IMF climate loan to expand green investment, fiscal space

  • IMF says reforms will create fiscal space, embed climate goals in budgets and public investment
  • Program aims to unlock private capital, improve disaster coordination, irrigation infrastructure across provinces

KARACHI: Pakistan will use a $1.4 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund’s climate resilience fund to expand fiscal space, embed climate planning into public investment decisions and unlock private-sector capital for green projects, the IMF said on Friday.

The financing, approved by the IMF’s Executive Board in May under its Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), is part of a broader reform program that aims to help Pakistan adapt to increasingly frequent and devastating climate shocks.

Pakistan is the first country in the Middle East and Central Asia region to access the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility. The fund was launched in 2022 to help climate-vulnerable low- and middle-income countries make the structural changes needed to protect their economies and populations.

“The RSF will help build climate resilience in Pakistan by creating fiscal space to address climate vulnerabilities, such as the need to improve climate-resilient adaptation infrastructure,” Mahir Binici, the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan, told Arab News in a written response.

“It will also boost climate’s prominence in public investment management and budget processes,” he said, “helping Pakistan better identify and target projects needed to strengthen resilience to climate shocks.”

A third pillar of the reforms, Binici said, is improving the overall “enabling environment for green investment” so that banks and private firms could incorporate climate-related risk considerations into their risk management and investment activities.

The RSF financing will be disbursed over a 28-month period and runs alongside Pakistan’s $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF), whose first review was also approved in May, releasing roughly $1 billion in immediate support.

CLIMATE-FINANCE GAP

Pakistan, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, has long struggled to align its public finances with the scale of climate risk it faces. The 2022 floods alone affected over 33 million people and caused more than $30 billion in damages and economic losses.

By reforming how climate priorities are reflected in budget planning and investment screening, the IMF says Pakistan will be better equipped to attract funding and respond to future disasters.

The RSF does not fund individual infrastructure projects. Instead, it supports “policy and institutional reforms that make climate action more effective,” Binici explained.

These include reforms in disaster coordination, water and irrigation infrastructure, and provincial implementation capacity.

Binici said the IMF program supports better coordination between the federal and provincial governments on disaster risk financing, a chronic weakness in past emergency responses, and policy changes that would strengthen water and irrigation management.

“Policy reforms that directly target Pakistan’s water management and irrigation infrastructure would help make farmers more resilient to climate shocks,” he said, adding the focus would be on improving irrigation service standards, reliability, and water supply adequacy.

The reforms also aim to reduce waterlogging, salinity, groundwater depletion, and growing water insecurity, issues that disproportionately impact poor rural communities.

The IMF said its climate program in Pakistan takes a “whole-of-government” approach, with many reforms to be implemented at the provincial level.

“Much of the focus is on improving coordination mechanisms between the federal government and the provinces,” Binici said.


One killed, five injured as residential building collapses in Pakistan’s Karachi

Updated 10 min 52 sec ago
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One killed, five injured as residential building collapses in Pakistan’s Karachi

  • The multi-story building in Karachi’s Lyari neighborhood housed several families
  • Efforts underway to rescue several residents believed to be trapped under rubble

KARACHI: At least one person was killed and five others were injured on Friday after a multi-story residential building came crashing down in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, the Edhi rescue service said.

Local media reported that the building, located in Karachi’s Lyari neighborhood, housed several families and a number of residents were still believed to be trapped under the rubble.

Television footage showed rescue workers and locals trying to rescue people from under the debris.

“So far one body has been recovered which was shifted through ambulance to Civil Hospital,” the Edhi rescue service said in a statement.

“Five people, including three women, were injured.”

It said rescue efforts were underway to find out survivors.

There was no immediate comment from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), which regulates buildings and other structures in Karachi, and other civic agencies on whether the building had been declared dangerous.

In Karachi, home to over 20 million people, building collapses often result in significant casualties, with officials accused of allowing faulty construction.

In June 2020, a five-story residential building had collapsed in the same neighborhood, killing at least 25 people.

On April 22, 2024, a three-story building collapsed in North Nazimabad, killing one man and injuring four others. In October 2023, a building collapse in Shah Faisal Colony resulted in five deaths and two injuries.


Trade, connectivity, regional cooperation in focus as Pakistani PM at ECO summit

Updated 04 July 2025
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Trade, connectivity, regional cooperation in focus as Pakistani PM at ECO summit

  • Theme of this year’s summit is “New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future”
  • Sharif will hold bilateral meetings with other leaders attending summit to discuss matters of mutual interest

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Khankendi, Azerbaijan today, where he is expected to present Pakistan’s views on regional and global challenges, trade promotion, sustainable development and enhanced connectivity.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif will also hold bilateral meetings with other leaders attending the summit to discuss matters of mutual interest.

The theme of this year’s summit is “New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future.” 

“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will participate in the ECO summit in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, where he will speak on global and regional issues, trade promotion, sustainable development, regional connectivity and solutions to regional challenges,” the PMO said.

The summit brings together heads of state and government from ECO member states to discuss economic and political cooperation. 

This is Sharif’s third visit to Azerbaijan in 2025. He last traveled to Baku in May, where he held talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on strengthening bilateral cooperation in energy and trade.

The Economic Cooperation Organization was established in 1985 by Iran, Turkiye and Pakistan and later expanded to include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The ten-member bloc aims to promote economic, technical and cultural collaboration across Central and South Asia, the Caucasus and the Middle East.


Pakistan says 30 ‘Indian-sponsored’ militants killed trying to cross from Afghanistan

Updated 04 July 2025
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Pakistan says 30 ‘Indian-sponsored’ militants killed trying to cross from Afghanistan

  • Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in militant violence in its western regions that border Afghanistan
  • Islamabad often blames these attacks on India and Afghanistan, a charge denied by Kabul and New Delhi

ISLAMABAD: At least 30 “Indian-sponsored” militants were killed while attempting to cross into Pakistan through its border with Afghanistan this week, the Pakistani military said on Friday.

Pakistani security forces intercepted the militants in the restive North Waziristan district, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.

All 30 militants, belonging to “Indian proxy Fitna Al-Khawarij,” a reference to the Pakistani Taliban, were killed as a result of “precise and skillful engagement.”

“A large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered from the killed Indian-sponsored Khawarij [militants],” the ISPR said in a statement.

“The interim Afghan government also needs to check and prevent the use of Afghan soil by ‘foreign proxies’ for orchestrating terrorist activities against Pakistan.”

New Delhi has not yet commented on the latest statement by the army but has repeatedly denied in the past that it is involved in militancy in Pakistan.

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in violence in its western regions bordering Afghanistan, with Islamabad accusing India of backing militant groups and Afghanistan of allowing the use of its soil for attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi deny the allegation.

The North Waziristan district has long been a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, who have mounted their attacks against Pakistani security forces and checkposts, and law enforcers since late 2022, when their fragile, months-long truce broke down with Islamabad.

On June 28, a suicide attack, claimed by Hafiz Gul Bahadur group of the Pakistani Taliban, killed 13 Pakistani soldiers and injured 29 people, including civilians, in the volatile district that borders Afghanistan, local government and police officials said.

A day later, the district administration imposed a 30-day restriction on the movement of people and vehicles from dusk till dawn, saying it was in the interest of “public safety, law and order, movement of security forces and [to] restrict the movement of outlaws.”

In a statement issued from his office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Pakistani security forces for foiling the militant infiltration attempt in North Waziristan.

“We are determined to completely eradicate all forms of terrorism from the country,” he said. “The entire nation salutes their security forces.”


Medical residents from Pakistan, other states fill critical positions in US, but running into visa issues

Updated 04 July 2025
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Medical residents from Pakistan, other states fill critical positions in US, but running into visa issues

  • The US is projected to face a physician shortage in the next 11 years, the Association of American Medical Colleges says
  • Over 6,600 foreign-born international medical residents matched into US programs in 2025, and another 300 filled positions

Some hospitals in the US are without essential staff because international doctors who were set to start their medical training this week were delayed by the Trump administration’s travel and visa restrictions.

It’s unclear exactly how many foreign medical residents were unable to start their assignments, but six medical residents interviewed by The Associated Press say they’ve undergone years of training and work only to be stopped at the finish line by what is usually a procedural step.

“I don’t want to give up,” said a permanent Canadian resident who matched to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Harrisburg but had her visa denied because she is a citizen of Afghanistan. She requested to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal. “But the situation also seems so helpless.”

Initially, the medical community was worried that hundreds of positions — many in hospitals in low-income or rural areas of the US — could be affected. The pause on interviews for J-1 visas for approved work or study-related programs was lifted in mid-June.

The national nonprofit that facilitates the residency match process said the visa situation is resolving, but it will take weeks to know with confidence how many medical residents have had the start of their careers derailed because they got their visa too late or were blocked by President Donald Trump’s travel ban on 12 countries, according to people who coordinate the residents’ training.

Four foreign medical residents told the AP that US embassies have been slow to open up interview slots — and some have not opened any.

“You lose out on the time you could have used to treat patients,” said one resident from Pakistan, who matched to an internal medicine program in Massachusetts and requested to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal.

Thousands of foreign medical residents fill gaps in US hospitals.

The US is projected to face a physician shortage in the next 11 years, per the Association of American Medical Colleges, and foreign medical residents fill critical gaps in the health care system. More than 6,600 foreign-born international medical residents matched into US programs in 2025 — the highest on record — and another 300 filled positions that were vacant after the match process was complete.

Not all of those residents were affected by visa issues or the travel ban on foreign nationals from countries including Afghanistan, Haiti and Sudan.

International medical graduates often take jobs in places where US medical trainees tend not to go, said Donna Lamb, president of the National Resident Matching Program.

“It’s not just that they’re coming in and they want to work in big, flashy centers on the coast,” Lamb said. “They’re truly providing health care for all of America.”

Foreign medical residents work in specialties that US applicants aren’t as eager to apply to. For example, international candidates make up almost 40 percent of residents in internal medicine, which specializes in the prevention and treatment of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

“The residents are the backbone of the entire hospital,” said Dr. Zaid Alrashid from Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in New York, which has medical residents from almost every continent. Most received their visas prior to the pause but a few were caught up in delays.

Two residents from India who spoke on condition of anonymity have not been able to get an appointment at any US embassies there despite the J-1 visa pause being lifted.

Another resident from Egypt just secured a visa appointment for mid-August but is worried her program may not be willing to wait for her. She’s already paid her security deposit for an apartment in Texas to live during her residency.

“I don’t know when this situation will be resolved,” said the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, adding she hasn’t been eating or sleeping well.

HOSPITALS WAITING FOR RESIDENTS

In California, leaders at two graduate medical education programs said they have a small number of residents caught up in J-1 visa delays. Both spoke on condition of anonymity due to concerns for the doctors who are still trying to get visas.

A residency leader at one large health care system said two doctors in its 150-resident program are delayed, adding they could start late or defer to next year. A 135-person program at a California public health system told the AP that one resident has yet to arrive, though he was finally scheduled for a visa interview.

“We are not going to breathe easy until he’s here in our hospital,” the second leader said.

As of Wednesday, Lamb’s matching program had received fewer than 20 requests to defer or cancel residency contracts.

Worried about losing their spots if they defer, many foreign medical residents may keep trying to get to the US and start their residencies late, said Dr. Sabesan Karuppiah, a past member of the American Medical Association’s International Medical Graduates Governing Council and former director of a large residency program.

Some hospitals may struggle at this point to replace the residents who don’t make it, leaving fewer people to care for the same number of patients, said Kimberly Pierce Burke, executive director of the Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers.

Foreign medical trainees who’ve made it into the US remain on edge about their situations, Karuppiah said.

“I can tell you the word on the street is: ‘Do not leave the country,’” he said, adding that people are missing out on important events, seeing sick parents or even getting married. “Everybody’s scared to just leave, not knowing what’s going to happen.”