Judiciary Urged to Uphold Constitutional Values and Avoid Gender Stereotypes
The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) has strongly condemned what it describes as “misogynistic and irresponsible” remarks made by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi in his additional note on the Noor Mukadam murder case, warning that such comments undermine public trust in the judiciary.
Justice Najafi, who currently serves on the Federal Constitutional Court, issued a seven-page supplementary note alongside the Supreme Court’s decision dismissing Zahir Jaffer’s appeal against his death sentence. In his note, the judge linked the case to what he termed an “increasing trend of unmarried cohabitation,” describing it as a vice gaining ground among upper-class Pakistanis that violates both state law and Islamic injunctions.
Commission Rejects Victim-Blaming Narrative
The NCSW stated that Justice Najafi’s comments amount to clear victim-blaming and reflect a harmful mindset within the judiciary. “No woman’s choices, real or perceived, can ever justify or explain brutality, murder or any form of gender-based violence,” the commission emphasized in its statement.
The commission warned that such views shift responsibility away from perpetrators of violence and place unjustified blame on women, running contrary to established judicial principles. The NCSW specifically referenced Justice Ayesha Malik’s landmark judgment, which emphasized that victims must be described in language that is sensitive, respectful and free from personal bias.
Call for Judicial Responsibility and Impartiality
“These comments disregard judicial responsibility and risk undermining public trust,” the NCSW stated, urging members of the judiciary to uphold constitutional values and maintain impartiality. The commission stressed that courts must remain spaces where survivors are treated with dignity and respect, with justice rooted in facts and law rather than personal judgment or bias.
The commission called on the judiciary to avoid moralizing, stereotyping, and narratives that shame or blame women, emphasizing that the state should ensure courts provide safe environments for all citizens seeking justice.
Case Background
Zahir Jaffer was convicted by an Islamabad trial court in 2022 and sentenced to death for the murder of 27-year-old Noor Mukadam, whose beheaded body was found at a private residence in Islamabad’s Sector F-7/4 in July 2021. The Supreme Court upheld Jaffer’s death sentence for murder in May 2025, though it converted the death penalty awarded under rape charges to life imprisonment.
The brutal nature of the crime shocked the nation and sparked widespread protests, with women’s rights activists highlighting the case as emblematic of gender-based violence in Pakistan.
