American-Pakistani socialite Zahir Zakir Jaffer – the key suspect in the beheading a 27-year-old woman at his home last week has confessed to murdering her, Islamabad police sources told Dawn on Tuesday, 27 July.
The shocking incident gripped Pakistan earlier in July, with the country witnessing protests, and vigil against the murder of Noor Mukdam – the daughter of a former diplomat.
Jaffer allegedly murdered Mukadam after she refused to marry him. According to the victim's friends, Jaffer called Mukadam to his place to bid her goodbye, stating that he was going to move to the United States, reported Dawn. However, the newspaper added that this was yet to be confirmed by the investigators.
WHO IS ZAHIR JAFFER?
The key accused Jaffer is the son Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee – a prominent business family in Islamabad.
He, along with his parents and two domestic workers – Iftikhar and Jameel – were taken to custody after Mukdam's body was found in Jaffer's home.
According to media reports, cops found the business tycoon's son covered in blood and bound with ropes by employees. His parents had reportedly called an elite rehab centre his parents had called in to ‘contain’ him, reported VICE News.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The report also added that investigators found a footage, in which Mukadam, the victim, was trying to escape Jaffer's house
“In the footage, the girl can be seen trying to escape from the house by jumping from the first storey and rushing towards the main gate,” the sources said.
The Dawn report added that woman hid herself in a guard’s room but the accused broke into the room and dragging her back into the house. He reportedly “tortured” Mukadam with a knuckle duster (a metallic weapon worn around the finger) before beheading her.
The watchman and butler were reportedly present and witnessed the crime but stayed silent. On 25 July, Jaffer's parents were taken into police custody for allegedly concealing the crime.
The mobile phones of the accused and the victim are still missing, the investigators said. However, they added that the victim had last spoken to her father on 19 July.
In a leaked interview, the employees at Therapy Works – the elite rehab centre where Jaffer’s mother is a therapist – told the investigative officers that Jaffer has a “chequered history” of abuse, VICE reported. They also added that he attacked his own mother in an incident in London and that cops were called to intervene.
'WANT JUSTICE': MUKADAM'S DAD
Earlier last week, Mukadam’s father and former diplomat Shaukat addressed the media and called it a open-and-shut case, stating that Jaffer even attacked the medical team.
“There are two cases against him: murder and attempted murder,” said Shaukat, reported VICE.
“I want justice, and if, God forbid, I don’t get it, I will not leave him," he said.
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