ISLAMABAD: Zahir Jaffer, the prime suspect in the gruesome July murder of 27-year-old Noor Mukadam, said at an indictment hearing on Thursday that he had committed the “crime” but appealed to the judge to release him from jail and put him under house arrest.
At a hearing that lasted nearly three hours, a district and sessions court in Islamabad indicted 12 people present in the courtroom, including the main accused Jaffer, for their alleged involvement in the murder of Mukadam, the daughter of former Pakitani diplomat Shaukat Mukadam. Mukadam’s beheaded body was found at the Jaffer residence in Islamabad on July 20.
Others against whom charges were framed on Thursday include Jaffer's parents, Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee, their three household staff, Iftikhar, Jan Muhammad and Jameel, and six workers from Therapy Works, a counselling centre from where Jaffer had received certification to become a therapist and where he had been receiving treatment in the weeks leading up to the murder.
The court has now summoned witnesses on October 20 to record their statements and plans to complete the trial of all twelve suspects within eight weeks as ordered by the Islamabad High Court.
The trail will be one of the most closely watched in recent history, as Mukadam’s murder has sparked public outrage and grabbed media attention unlike any other recent crime against women.
“I accept I have committed this crime, now it’s up to you to punish or forgive me,” a somber looking Jaffer, visibly in low spirits unlike at previous hearings, said before additional sessions judge Atta Rabbani. “We quarrelled, and we both were angry, and this all happened.”
Jaffer was arrested from the crime scene on the day of the murder. He was initially on police remand but was moved to Adiala Jail in the city of Rawalpindi on judicial remand in early August where he has been detained since.
As lawyers for the Jaffer and Mukadam families presented arguments, Jaffer kept interrupting and saying speaking before the court was his “basic right.” At one point he sat down and started sobbing loudly.
“I want to apologise,” he said. “This case is related to me. You are hearing the lawyers of others but not giving me time.”
The accused said he had been in a relationship with Mukadam. At one point he turned to the victim’s father and said, “I was in a relationship with your daughter for the last three years. My life is now in your hands. Please have mercy on me.”
“But if you want to see me hanged, it’s okay and I’m ready for it.”
Jaffer also said Noor had offered herself for “the sacrifice.” It was unclear what he meant by “sacrifice.”
At multiple times during the hearing, the accused blamed Therapy Works staff for the murder, though it was unclear how their presence at the scene had led him to behead Mukadam. Police have said a team from the counselling centre was already at the crime scene when they arrived on July 20, having been summoned by Jaffer's parents who were in Karachi at the time of the crime.
“We had arguments, but if these people [Therapy Works staff] didn’t come in, this [the murder] would not have happened,” he added, pointing to Amjad, a Therapy Works employee indicted in the case. “He is the guy … I asked them [Therapy Works staff] to wait outside [my home] for at least thirty minutes, but they barged in through a window and this all happened.”
Jaffer also appealed to the judge to release him from jail and put him under house arrest.
“I can’t live in the jail, can’t lead such a life. I want to live a life where I have a wife and children.”
“Please tell me if you’re going to hang me,” he added. “Release me or forgive me.”
He requested the court multiple times to let him make a phone call, though he did not specify who he wanted to call.
Regarding a pistol found at the crime scene, Jaffer said both his and Mukadam’s fingerprints were found on the weapon.
“That pistol belongs to my father. And this all was in my father’s knowledge,” he said. It was unclear if he meant that his father knew he was going to commit a crime.
I committed the crime, Zahir Jaffer says at indictment hearing in Noor Mukadam murder case
https://arab.news/bqkqe
I committed the crime, Zahir Jaffer says at indictment hearing in Noor Mukadam murder case
- At hearing that lasted nearly three hours, district court in Islamabad indicted 12 people present in courtroom
- Jaffer says he was in a relationship with Mukadam, asks court to “punish or forgive" him, appeals to be put under house arrest
Fashion and family: Amir Adnan heiress takes father’s legacy forward with sustainable vision
- Parishae Adnan, 30, celebrates taking over as CEO with debut collection Nakhlistan, which means oasis
- Aims to take her father’s iconic brand into future rooted in climate sustainability, cultural integrity
KARACHI: The name Amir Adnan has been synonymous with menswear in Pakistan for over 35 years.
Adnan launched the eponymous men’s fashion wear brand in 1990 and several sub-brands since, and is widely credited for glamorizing the long-sleeved sherwani outer coat in modern times.
Now, it’s time for his daughter Parishae Adnan to take the helm of Adnan’s fashion empire as CEO and transition the company, Shapar Private Limited, into a future rooted in climate sustainability and cultural integrity.
Last week, Parishae, a 30-year-old managerial economics graduate, launched the company’s summer collection, Nakhlistan, which means oasis, a show she has conceptualized and that she exhibited as a formal celebration of her appointment as CEO in May 2024.
“It absolutely feels incredible, I feel a lot of gratitude, taking the legacy forward,” Parishae told Arab News in an interview last week.
Adnan said it was always clear that his children would take over the business.
“My children were raised while we were working in the workshops, and they’ve been seeing this all along. My eldest daughter, Parishae, she worked with me for three years and now she’s become the CEO of the company,” he told Arab News.
“It’s not common, especially in this industry that we are working in, the fashion industry, to see legacy go on from one generation to another.”
And Parishae has plans for her father’s company, with her major aim being to introduce and integrate environmentally conscious practices into its operations.
“We need to do anything, even if it’s a little small step,” said Parishae, who explored fields like acting, hospitality, IT, and supply chain before finally embracing fashion designing.
“One of the first things I did was I changed our packaging material, making it recyclable.”
In 2021, she launched the ‘House of Parishae,’ a collection grounded in sustainable couture, with her debut show featuring 35 pieces created entirely from upcycled clothing, extending the life cycle of garments and promoting conscious consumption.
“The idea that couture, high end couture luxury can come out of upcycling or recycling, it’s not an idea that was digestible to the public in Pakistan,” the designer said, pointing to inspirations like Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen.
“People here usually don’t go for that concept for their event wear. They don’t want to spend so much money if it’s going to be recycled or upcycled.”
But Parishae is resolved to take her vision forward — all the while staying true to what she has in common with her father: a deep connection to Pakistan’s cultural identity.
The designs of Adnan, who was born in Lahore to a bureaucratic father and a mother from the royal family of Dhaka, often draw inspiration from the sartorial heritage and timeless attire of South Asian nobles.
“If I go back in time and I look at my forefathers, photographs or paintings, they actually wore what I’m making right now, literally,” Adnan said.
Parishae too sees cultural identity as central to her vision, especially in an increasingly globalized and digitally connected world.
“As globalization is on a rise, it is even more important in this day and age to understand where your roots are coming from and it’s even more important to keep an identity, a cultural identity, in order for you to realize who you are and where you belong to,” she said.
“I wanted to be a pioneer for change, not in the West because they already have that. It’s actually trying to help us here because you never know, there might be a next generation that looks at this story and gets inspired by it and says, ‘Let’s go, it’s been done before, we can do it better’.”
And her father is proud.
“For every parent, whether you’re a father or a mother, it’s always your dream to see your children outdo you,” Adnan said.
“For me to see my daughter excel in my lifetime ... is one of the best gifts I could have asked from Allah.”
Trump says settled Pakistan-India standoff through trade deals
- Trump has repeatedly said he offered to help both nations with trade if they agreed to de-escalate
- India has previously rejected that trade concessions were discussed in ceasefire discussions
ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had used US trade ties to persuade nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan to back off from their worst military confrontation in decades earlier this month, a claim New Delhi has previously rejected.
Following a May 10 understanding reached between India and Pakistan in what was a US-mediated ceasefire to stop military action on land, in the air and at sea, Trump has repeatedly said he had offered to help both the nations with trade if they agreed to de-escalate.
Pakistan has not commented specifically on the trade-related claim though it has repeatedly thanked Trump for his role in the de-escalation efforts. The Indian government has, however, said trade concessions did not come up in discussions to secure the ceasefire.
“If you take a look at what we just did with Pakistan and India, we settled that whole thing, and I think I settled it through trade,” Trump said in televised comments during a meeting at the White House with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“We’re doing a big deal with India. We’re doing a big deal with Pakistan,” the US president added, without giving details of what agreements he was referring to.
Before the ceasefire, the militaries of India and Pakistan were engaged in one of their most serious confrontations in decades since May 7, when India struck targets inside Pakistan it said were affiliated with militants responsible for the killing of 26 tourists last month in Indian-administered Kashmir.
After India’s strikes in Pakistan, both sides exchanged heavy fire along their de facto border, followed by missile and drone strikes into each other’s territories, mainly targeting military installations and air bases.
The escalating hostilities threatened regional peace, leading to calls by world leaders to cool down tempers.
Trump has said he not only helped mediate the ceasefire but also offered mediation over the simmering dispute in Kashmir, a Himalayan region that both India and Pakistan claim in entirety but govern in part. The two nations have fought two wars over Kashmir, which has long been described as the regional nuclear flashpoint.
New Delhi has rejected Trump’s offer for mediation, saying Kashmir was a bilateral issue, while Pakistan has welcomed the offer.
With inputs from AP
Pakistan recalls fast bowler Hasan Ali for T20 series against Bangladesh
- Hasan played just one T20 international in nearly three years when he returned against Ireland in Dublin in 2024
- Fast bowler has forced his way back into the squad with a rich haul of 15 wickets in the Pakistan Super League
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recalled fast bowler Hasan Ali for this month’s Twenty20 home matches against Bangladesh but overlooked senior batters Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam for the third successive series.
Hasan played just one T20 international in nearly three years when he returned with expensive figures of 0-42 in three overs against Ireland in Dublin in 2024.
However, the right-arm fast bowler has forced his way back into the squad with a rich haul of 15 wickets in the Pakistan Super League while representing the Karachi Kings.
Rizwan and Babar were dropped for the last two series in Zimbabwe and New Zealand as Pakistan continued to reshape its top-order ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup.
Rizwan scored 367 runs at a strike rate of 139.54 in the PSL this season as his franchise, the Multan Sultans, suffered nine defeats in 10 games.
Babar’s Peshawar Zalmi also missed out on the playoffs for the first time in PSL history as he finished the season with 288 runs and a strike rate of 128.57.
Salman Ali Agha, who was appointed captain ahead of the T20 series in Australia last year, will continue to lead the side with Shadab Khan as his deputy.
The series will be the first assignment for Pakistan’s newly appointed white-ball coach Mike Hesson, who is currently in charge of Islamabad United in the PSL.
The selectors have made eight changes to the squad which lost the series in New Zealand 4-1.
Fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Jahandad Khan and Abbas Afridi were replaced by Hasan, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim while another pace bowler Mohammad Ali was also dropped.
Opening batter Sahibzada Farhan, who leads the PSL charts with 394 runs in 10 games, Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman were recalled, with all-rounders Faheem Ashraf and Hussain Talat also making their way back into the squad.
The three-match series will be played at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore on May 28, May 30 and June 1.
Pakistan squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub.
JS Investments launches Pakistan’s ‘first’ Shariah-compliant real estate investment trust
- JS Investments partners with real estate developer Gohar Group of Companies to establish JS Hotel REIT in Hyderabad
- REIT is a regulated investment vehicle that pools capital from investors to finance income-generating real estate
KARACHI: A Pakistani investment firm on Wednesday announced the launch of what it described as the country’s first Shariah-compliant real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the hospitality sector.
A REIT is a regulated investment vehicle that pools capital from investors to finance income-generating real estate, offering returns through rent or capital gains. It provides exposure to the property market without direct ownership of assets.
JS Investments Limited, one of Pakistan’s oldest private-sector asset and REIT managers, has partnered with real estate developer Gohar Group of Companies to establish the JS Hotel REIT in Hyderabad district, located in the southeastern Sindh province.
“As the manager of Pakistan’s first hotel REIT, we are pleased to offer investors a professionally managed and regulated investment vehicle backed by international hospitality standards,” the statement quoted Iffat Zehra Mankani, CEO of JS Investments Limited, as saying.
The REIT will finance the development of a 139-room hotel in Hyderabad under a franchise agreement with an international hospitality brand. The fund is currently open to accredited local and foreign investors through private placement.
The statement added the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) had granted regulatory approval for the fund, which is not being offered to the general public at this stage.
Pakistan’s REIT market remains small, though regulatory reforms in recent years have aimed to draw institutional investment into real estate through both conventional and Islamic finance structures.
The project will also feature environmentally responsible construction, according to the statement.
Pakistan PM directs task force to propose budget plan for low-cost housing
- Pakistan faces a housing crisis, with the shortage particularly acute in urban areas
- PM says ahead of the budget low-cost housing is his administration’s top priority
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday his administration is prioritizing the development of low-cost housing while directing a task force to present financing recommendations to include the facility in the upcoming budget.
Pakistan has been facing a housing crisis, with the World Bank suggesting two years ago it was short of an estimated 10 million housing units. The shortage is particularly acute in urban areas due to rapid population growth, unregulated expansion and high land and construction prices.
The federal budget, which will be presented to the National Assembly next month, is expected to outline measures to tackle the crisis as the new fiscal year begins in July.
“The government’s foremost priority is to facilitate access to housing through low-cost schemes,” Sharif said during a task force meeting to address the issue.
“Such projects will not only make residential units accessible to the common man but also stimulate economic growth and create employment opportunities,” he continued.
The prime minister instructed the task force to work with the finance ministry and banks to prepare detailed financing proposals for affordable housing, with the aim of making them part of the upcoming budget.
He also emphasized that developing the construction sector was key to sustainable economic growth.
Officials briefed the prime minister on ongoing reforms to the Condominium Act 2025 and Foreclosure Law, saying they were in their final stages and were expected to ease access to housing loans under the new schemes.
