A court in Islamabad has handed over Therapyworks Owner Tahir Zahoor, and five others to day-long physical custody in Noor Mukadam’s murder case reports DAWN.
The six suspects were arrested on Saturday night and were presented on Sunday morning before the court, in front of Magistrate Shahzad Khan who granted their remand.
They were accused of “concealing evidence”. Reportedly, Tahir Zahoor was in contact with Zahir’s parents after the murder, and eventually, a team from Therapyworks was sent to the crime scene.
Zahoor’s counsel told the court that his client is diabetic and has cooperated when called for an investigation. “This is the first case in which witnesses have been arrested,” he said.
Moreover, the suspects said that they had cooperated with the authorities and were at the police station for four days but no investigation was conducted.
They will be presented before the court tomorrow (Monday) at 10:30 am.
How is Therapyworks is related?
Therapy Works, a counseling, and psychotherapy center allegedlygranted murder suspect Zahir Jaffar a certification to become a therapist.
The center denied allegations that Zahir Jaffar was seeing clients of the organisation, despite evidencecoming forward that he was.
Other suspects
Other than Zahir Jaffar and his parents, two security guards were also been arrested for assistance-in-crime, hiding evidence and tampering with evidence in order to save the accused. Currently, the murder suspect is in Adiala Jail.
Over the last few days, the news has been inundated with the different versions and revelations in relation to the murder of Noor Mukadam.
Here’s a list of the different versions of the same story.
1.Zahir Jaffer’s confession:
Reportedly, Zahir Jaffer has confessed to the murder of Noor Mukadam. Police also gathered video evidence of Noor being tortured by Zahir.
The accused made the confession during interrogation but has not given a reason for murdering Noor. Dawn, The Express Tribune, ARY News, Dunya have reported that Zahir Jaffer, the prime suspect in the murder of Noor, confessed to killing her before the investigators during his interrogation. Sources said the prime suspect has repeatedly changed his reasoning for committing the brutal crime.
However, Geo News and Samaa have not reported on the confession yet.
2.CCTV footage of the incident:
All news outlets have confirmed that the Islamabad police have also found video evidence of him torturing Noor on his mobile phone, as well as CCTV footage of the incident.
3.Noor seeking driver’s help:
Only two media organisations reported the story of Noor seeking help from her driver while being held as a hostage at Zahir Jaffer’s house.
Noor Mukadam asked her driver to arrange Rs700,000 and bring it to the house of Zahir Jaffer, the main accused in her murder, Noor’s driver told Geo News.
The Express Tribune reported, the victim’s family reportedly informed the investigation team that Noor had instructed her driver to bring Rs700,000 to the accused’s house. However, the investigation team said no money has been recovered yet. A senior police officer added that there was no confirmation of the money being withdrawn from the victim’s account, from her home, or from any other relatives. However, Geo news says that the driver collected three lakh rupees from his own resources, friends, and acquaintances.
No other major news outlet has run this story.
4.Crime Scene:
All major news outlets reported that a guard at the house of Zahir Jaffer saw Noor Mukadam trying to escape as she jumped off the balcony. When she jumped off the balcony, she landed on the Air Conditioner Unit ( Condenser). Zahir too jumped off from the balcony and grabbed her. The guard tried to help her but Zahir grabbed her by her hair and took her back into her room and locked the door.
BBC Urdu reported that Noor jumped out of the ‘Roshandan‘ [a small window].
BBC Urdu, Dawn, and The Express Tribune added that Noor hid in the guard’s room after finding the gate locked, adding that later the accused broke into the room and dragged her back into the house.
Geo News did not report Noor hiding in the guard’s room.
5.Presence of friends:
Editor of The Nation Salman Masood, mentioned that Zahir brutally killed Noor and chopped off her head from the body while the Therapy Works team and a group of mutual friends tried to enter his room.
Dawn reported that the SSP Rehman further said her [Noor’s] friends reached the house of the accused, but he refused to let them enter, adding that he remained on the balcony, brandishing weapons and hurling abuses at them. One of the friends informed the girl’s father while another friend called the police.
However, as per Geo News, a neighbour had gone to the Kohsar Police station to inform them and not a friend. By the time the police reached, the team of Therapy Works had tied up Zahir.
6. When did Noor go to Zahir’s house:
Editor of The Nation Salman Masood and Geo News reported that Noor was detained for two days at Zahir’s house.
Other media outlets have not reported the duration of stay.
7. Reason for murder:
The reason for murder has yet not been confirmed.
However, Geo News reported that Zahir called his parents before the murder and told them that Noor has refused to marry him.
Meanwhile, ARY News reported that allegedly Zahir in his statement said that he killed Noor for cheating on him
Recent update on #JusticeForNoor case:
The parents of Zahir Zakir Jaffer — a key suspect in Noor Mukadam’s murder — on Tuesday moved a bail petition in a district and sessions court in Islamabad against their detention. Admitting the petition, the court issued a notice to the police and set July 30 as the date for the hearing.
The confusion is real. Was Zahir Jaffer taking clients and was a practicing therapist at the organisation Therapy Works? In a social media post, the organisation stated, “He [Zahir Jaffer] did not complete his coursework and International Essays, and accordingly was never ever given permission to see clients. This is borne out by our list of authorised therapists in which his name has never been included.”
On Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Kahnzada Kay Sath’, Journalist Shahzeb Khanzada revealed that Zahir Jaffer was giving therapy sessions to children at Beaconhouse’s Rawalpindi branch.
According to leaked audio of Therapy Works CEO Tahir Ahmed Zahoor, Zahir Jaffer along with Dr Umber Zaidi ( an authorised counsellor of Therapy Works, as listed on their website) had visited Beaconhouse to give a counselling session to students, on how to cope up with the increasing pressure in education. Khanzada shows leaked audio and video of Tahir Ahmed Zahoor saying that he was not responsible for Zahir going to Beaconhouse since Zahir went on his own. Khanzada aired a clarification from Beaconhouse, in which the school states that they had reached out to TherapyWorks for their counsellors to come to the school sessions and Zahir had been sent by the organisation.
نورمقدم کاقاتل ظاہر جعفر اپنی پرتشدد ہسٹری اورمنشیات کی لت کے باوجودکیسے تھیراپی ورکس میں تھیراپسٹ بننے کے لیول4تک پہنچا۔ کیسے تھیراپی دیتارہا۔
تھیراپی ورکس کےCEOکواسکے ماضی کاپتہ تھا توپھر کیوں یہ سب نظرانداز کیا۔ حقائق دیکھیے
It was further revealed that Dr Umber and Zahir were affiliated with the Therapy Works and that they both shared their credentials with the school principal on arrival.
The official Beaconhouse statement reads:
“In Jan 2019, A teacher of Beaconhouse Senior Boys Branch, Satellite Town, Rawalpindi was enrolled in a course at TherapyWorks. She asked her teacher, Dr Umber Zaidi (an authorised counsellor of TherapyWorks as listed on Therpary Works website) to visit the school as a guest speaker and talk to students about coping with study pressures. Dr Umber Zaidi brought Zahir to the school with her. Both shared their TherapyWorks credentials with the school head before the session with Students and Teachers. At no point were the students left unsupervised.
In short, Beaconhouse did not invite Zahir. It was Dr Umber Zaidi’s decision to bring him along. Since she is an authorised counsellor of TherapyWorks, the school did not question her decision. It is pertinent to note that the session took place in Jan 2019″.
During the show, Shahzeb Khanzada exposed other contradictions that CEO Tahir Ahmed had been stating as the truth. Khanzada reported that Tahir knew about Zahir’s mental health and let him become a therapist and take on clients anyway.
In the leaked audio, Tahir Ahmed says that it was only after June 2021 that Zahir’s parents contacted him and asked him to help their son [Zahir].
“He is seriously ill, he will do something,” Tahir Ahmed to Zahir’s parents.
However, Zahir’s father ignored Tahir’s warnings.
Dr Imtiaz Dogar, President Pakistan Psychiatric Society, a guest on the show said, “The murder of Noor Mukadam is not a psychological but a criminal matter.”
نورمقدم کاقتل سائیکولوجیکل نہیں بلکہ کرمنل معاملہ ہے۔ سائیکولوجیکل کیسز میں ایسے منصوبہ بندی کیساتھ قتل کے واقعات سامنے نہیں آتے۔ ڈاکٹرامتیاز ڈوگر، صدر پاکستان سائیکیٹرک سوسائٹی pic.twitter.com/kAfj4DSXUI
Ishq Tamasha fame actress Aiman Khan took to Instagram to comment under a media organization’s post featuring Zahir Jaffer. The Pyaray Afzal diva wished for the culprit to rot in hell for what he did to Noor Mukadim.
Noor Mukadam, 27, was stabbed to death and then beheaded according to her post mortem report. Jameela has linked a story on Noor published in The Daily Beast to make people aware on what happened in Noor’s case.
The alleged killer Zahir Jaffer is now in police custody and is being charged with murder. His parents are also in custody for trying to hide evidence and aiding and abetting.
کچھ دن پہلے میں نے “تھپڑ” کے نام سے ایک فلم دیکھی ۔ کہانی ایک ہنستے بستے جوڑے کی تھی جہاں مرد گھر چلا رہا تھا ، اور عورت جس کا نام امرتا تھا، اس کا گھر سنبھال رہی تھی ۔ امرتا کو ایک مثالی بہو کے طور پر دکھایا گیا اور وہ خوش بھی دکھ رہی تھی ۔ لیکن ان کی یہ مثالی بہو اس وقت مثالی نہیں رہتی جب اسے ایک گھر کے فنکشن میں اس کا خاوند غصے میں آ کر چہرے پر تھپڑ مار دیتا ہے ۔ اورغصہ بھی اس کو کسی اور پر ہوتا ہے ۔ وہ تھپڑ اتنا اچانک تھا کہ میرا دل سہم گیا۔ میں نے سکرین پر غور کرنا شروع کر دیا اس امید پر کہ کوئی تو آگے آ کر امرتا کا ہاتھ تھامے گا ، اس کو حوصلہ دے گا اس کے لیے آواز اُٹھائے گا ۔ لیکن وہ اکیلی کھڑی رہی ۔ اس بھرے مجمعے میں امرتا کے اپنے والدین بھی آگے نہیں آئے ۔ وہ اس تھپڑ کی ذلت لے کر اکیلی کھڑی رہی ۔ اس ایک لمحے میں اس کے اپنے بھی اپنے نہیں رہے تھے ۔عورت ہوتے ہوئے اس سین میں عورت کے اکیلے پن نے مجھے اپنی والدہ کا ایک واقعہ یاد دلا دیا ۔ وہ اس وقت اکیلی تھی جب ان کے چہرے پر ان کے خاوند نے تب تک تھپڑ مارے جب تک ان کے چہرے سے خون نہیں نکل آیا ۔ انہیں بھی بچانے کوئی نہیں آیا ۔ وہ خود ہی اپنے زخموں کو سہلانے لگیں ۔ اور اگلے دن شوہر کے کہنے پر لپسٹک لگا کر لوگوں کے سامنے آئیں جیسے کچھ ہوا ہی نہیں ۔ گال پر نیل، سوجا ہوا چہرا،پوری کہانی سنا رہا تھا ۔ لیکن نا ان سے کسی نے پوچھا کہ کیا ہوا تم ٹھیک تو ہو اور نہ انہوں نے بتایا ۔ اس بھری محفل میں ، میری ماں اکیلی تھی ۔ جسے جانتے بوجھتے نہ کوئی دیکھ پایا ، نہ کچھ کہہ پایا ۔
اس اکیلے پن کا احساس کچھ اور گہرا ہوا جب کچھ دن پہلے اسلام آباد میں نور کو بے رحمی سے قتل کر دیا گیا ۔ نور اس گھر کی دیواروں میں ، اس شخص کے رحم و کرم پر ، وہاں موجود نوکروں کی چہل پہل میں ، اکیلی تھی ۔ وہ جانتے تھے کہ کچھ غلط ہے ، لیکن وہ غلط کے ساتھ تھے ، اور نور اکیلی تھی ۔ ان آخری لمحات میں جب نور کی چیخیں سنی ان سنی کر دی گئیں ، نور اس خوف کے ساتھ اکیلی تھی ۔ وہ انسان جس پر نور نے یقین کیا ، ان آخری لمحات میں نور اس یقین سے محروم تھی ۔ نور اکیلی تھی ۔ اور جب نور نہ رہی ،تو اس کا ماضی اور حال اس دنیا کے سامنے اکیلا تھا ۔ نور کی زندگی پر جو بھی سوال اُٹھا ، نور اس سوال کے سامنے اکیلی تھی ۔ “نور وہاں کیوں گئی؟ نور وہاں کیا کررہی تھی؟ کچھ کیا ہوگا جو یہ ہوا ہے ؟ نور کی اس لڑکے سے دوستی تھی ؟ نور نے شادی کیوں نہیں کی ؟ نور کے ماں باپ نے اسے جانے کیوں دیا؟ ۔” سوال ہزار ہوئے ،اور سب نور سے ہوئے ۔ ان سوالوں کے سامنے ، ہر الزام کے سامنے ، نور اکیلی تھی ۔
اگر آپ اس جرم سے متعلق معلومات غور سے دیکھیں ، تو زیادہ تر اخباروں میں مجرم کے نام کا ذکر ہی نہیں ۔ظاہر جعفر جس نے نور کو اس بے رحمی سے قتل کیا ، اس کا نام یا تو ہے ہی نہیں یا پھر سرسری سے ذکر کے ساتھ “بزنس مین کا بیٹا ” آیا ہے ۔ اس پورے کیس کی تحریروں میں بھی نور اکیلی تھی ۔ ظاہر کا ذکر بہت کم ملا ۔ جب بھی ملی ، نور ہی ملی ۔
“تھپڑ” فلم میں امرتا کے اپنوں نے ہی اس کو تھپڑ پڑنے کے بعد کہا “باہر آؤ لوگ کیا سوچیں گے “۔ میری والدہ کے نیلوں سے بھرے پر چہرے پر کہا گیا کہ لپسٹک لگا کر باہر آؤ ، لوگ کیا کہیں گے ۔ لیکن نور ۔۔۔۔ نور تو چلی گئی ، اور لوگوں نے بہت کچھ سوچ بھی لیا ، کہہ بھی دیا ۔ اس سب کہنے سننے میں ، نور اکیلی تھی ۔
اگر کوئی نہیں تھا ، تو وہ ظاہر جعفر تھا ۔ اگر کوئی سوال نہیں اُٹھا ، تو ظاہر پر نہیں اُٹھا ۔ ظاہر سے کسی نے نہیں پوچھا کہ اس نے یہ سب کیوں کیا ۔ کسی نے نہیں پوچھا کے ظاہر نے نور کو گھر میں بند کیوں کیا تھا ۔ ظاہر سے کسی نے نہیں پوچھا کہ وہ لڑکی کے ساتھ کیا کر رہا تھا ۔ اگر پوچھا سب نے تو بس اک سوال ۔۔۔۔۔۔ کیا نور ظاہر کیساتھ اکیلی تھی؟
ایک عورت ہوتے ہوئے میں نے کبھی اتنا اکیلا محسوس نہیں کیا جتنا اب کیا ہے۔ امرتا کا تھپڑ کے بعد اکیلا کھڑا رہنا، میری ماں کا مار کھانے کے بعد سب کا خاموشی سے سامنا کرنا، اور نور کا آخری لمحوں میں اتنا بےبس ہونا، مجھے بلکل اکیلا کر گیا ہے۔ میرا یہ یقین پختہ ہوگیا ہے کہ میرے ساتھ کچھ بھی ہوا، میری زندگی میں کوئی بھی مشکل آئی تو میں اکیلی کھڑی ہونگی۔ اور میں جو کچھ بھی کہوں گی، ہر بات کا حرف آخر یہ سماج متعین کرے گا۔ اور میں اکیلی ہونگی!
میری بہنوں، سہیلیوں، مائیں اور دنیا بھر کی عورتوں! یہ تمہاری آزادی اور حق کی جنگ ہے اور اسے تم نے اکیلے ہی لڑنا ہے!
