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Former Pakistani diplomat's daughter ‘brutally’ murdered in Islamabad
Published: July 22, 2021 09:01
Ashfaq Ahmed, Senior Assistant Editor
Gulf News
Noor Mukadam, 27, was brutally murdered in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Dubai: The grisly murder and beaheading of an ex-diplomat’s daughter has sent shockwaves across Pakistan and the country's social media scene. Noor Mukadam, 27, was reportedly “shot and slaughtered” in an upscale residential area of Islamabad during the Eid holidays.
Police said that the suspect, identified as Zahir Zakir, has been taken into custody. Zakir is reportedly a US citizen of Pakistani origin. Police found the victim’s body in the suspect’s house on Tuesday. Noor Mukadam was the daughter of former foreign service official Shaukat Mukadam, who served as Pakistan’s ambassador to South Korea and Kazakhstan.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry condemned the crime and expressed condolences to the family in a tweet. “Deeply saddened by the murder of the daughter of a senior colleague and former Ambassador of Pakistan. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, and I hope the perpetrator of this heinous crime will be brought to justice,” Hafeez said on his Twitter handle.
Geo News reported that Islamabad police have registered a case against the accused and an investigation is underway. Police said Noor was “slaughtered” after being shot. Another person was also injured in the incident.
Zakir, known as a “friend” of the victim, was arrested over his alleged involvement in the murder. “The alleged killer is a son of a leading businessman of the country,” the newspaper Dawn reported.
Police obtained a three-day remand of the suspect from a local court, while officials said they were investigating the suspect’s motive for the crime.
A first information report (FIR) was registered against Zahir under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code upon the complaint of the victim’s father late on Tuesday.
In his complaint, Shaukat Mukadam stated that he had gone to Rawalpindi on July 19 to buy a goat for Eid Al Adha, while his wife had gone out to pick up clothes from her tailor. When he returned home in the evening, the couple found their daughter Noor absent from their house in Islamabad.
Her cell phone number was switched off. The family then started a search. Sometime later, the victim called her parents to inform them that she was travelling to Lahore with some friends and would return “in a day or two”, according to the FIR.
On Tuesday afternoon, the father said he received a call from Zahir, son of Zakir Jaffer, whose family were the ex-diplomat’s acquaintances. Zahir informed Mukadam that Noor was not with him, the FIR stated.
At around 10pm the same day, the victim’s father received a call from Kohsar police station, informing him that Noor had been murdered.
Police subsequently took the father to Zahir’s house, in Sector F-7/4, where he discovered that his “daughter has been brutally murdered with a sharp-edged weapon and (was) beheaded,” according to the FIR.
Mukadam, who identified his daughter’s body, sought the maximum punishment under the law against the suspect.
The grisly murder of the woman sparked fresh debate about the safety of women in the federal capital. The hashtag #JusticeForNoor drew tens of thousands of tweets in Pakistan.
In a statement, Women Action Forum has condemned the "barbaric murder and beheading" of Noor Mukadam. "We note with concern the increasing incidents of violence against women recently. We extend our condolences to the family and express solidarity and support for them. We also demand swift justice," the group stated.
Man accused of molesting girl in Dubai
while watching a dancing fountain show
Published: July 22, 2021 09:51
Ali Al Shouk, Senior Reporter, Gulf News
A Dubai court has sentenced a man to three-month followed by deportation for molesting a girl.
Image Credit: Gulf News Archives
Dubai: A Dubai-based man has been accused of molesting a teenager (??) while she was watching a dancing fountain.
According to the Dubai Court of First Instance, the 12-year-old girl was watching the fountain outside a shopping centre when she felt the Indian defendant pressing his body against her back while pretending that he was watching the fountain.
The teenager told prosecutors that she was with her mother watching the fountain show on April this year, when she felt the defendant rubbing against her. She alerted Dubai Police who arrived and arrested the defendant.
The accused admitted of touching the girl during the investigation but denied the charge when he appeared in court. A policeman testified that the defendant told him about noticing the girl standing while watching the fountain show with her mother and decided to touch her inappropriately. “He knew she was busy watching and pressed his body against her from behind,” said the policeman in records.
Dubai Public Prosecution charged the defendant with molesting the teen.
The court sentenced the defendant for three months to be followed by deportation. The verdict will be subject to appeal within 15 days.
For your info, Ali Al Shouk, 12-year-olds are pre-teens, not teenagers.
Egypt: Uber driver, girlfriend do drugs, have sex
and suffocate to death in car
Published: July 22, 2021 15:38
Khitam Al Amir, Chief News Editor, Gulf News
Dubai: A 27-year-old Uber driver and his 21-year-old girlfriend were found dead inside a locked car, which was parked in Al Haram Garage in Cairo, local media reported.
The duo is suspected to have suffocated as the car windows were shut. The victims were suspected to have consumed drugs. Initial investigations reveal that the two were in a relationship and traces of drugs were found.
Al Haram police were alerted from the people living in the area who complained of foul smell from the garage in a building under construction. The police, who found the bodies in the car, said there is no sign of the couple having made any efforts to get out of the vehicle as they were under the influence of narcotics.
The forensic report confirmed that there was no criminal intention, and the duo were suffocated to death while having sex after consuming drugs.
The woman’s father collapsed when he was told about his daughter’s death. Investigations indicated that the driver was in a relationship with the girl for two months. He proposed to her, but her family refused him. The families of the two victims had earlier lodged a missing complaint.
Pakistani police vow to punish 400 men who groped and
robbed female TikToker in public on Independence Day
18 Aug, 2021 15:21
Pakistan's government has vowed to punish some 400 men involved in the shocking sexual harassment and robbery of a female TikToker in public on the country’s Independence Day, in an event which has “shamed” every Pakistani.
On Wednesday, spokesman for the Pakistani Government of the Pubjab Fayyazul Hassan Chohan said the authorities were doing everything in their power to bring hundreds of men, who groped, harassed and stole from a single woman, to justice.
“The incident of assault on a woman in Greater Iqbal Park is a shameful act which has brought shame to the society,” Chohan said in a statement.
The incident, which took place on August 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day, only came to light after a video went viral on social media.
The video, which has been widely shared, shows the moment a female TikToker was approached in Greater Iqbal Park, Lahore, by a huge group of men. The men can be seen touching her before picking her up and carrying her through the crowd.
An extended video has been shared on Pakistani television while some people on social media have posted additional footage from the evening in an attempt to assist police identify those involved in the shocking harassment.
The lady was apparently making a TikTok video in the park when she was attacked. Reports claimed that the men groped her, tore off her clothes, beat her and threw her in the air. She also had her phone, rings and money stolen.
On Tuesday, Pakistan’s Geo News reported that the police had opened an investigation against some 400 men allegedly involved in the incident. The agency reported that they were yet to identify any perpetrators.
Saturday’s event in Lahore has provoked widespread condemnation with many claiming the horrific harassment has brought shame on the whole country.
Only those who are dreadfully naive would think that. This is the kind of thing I expect from Pakistanis.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, called on the authorities to do their job, adding that “the assault of a young women by a mob at #minarepakistan [Independence Day] should shame every Pakistani. It speaks to a rot in our society.”
Zardari’s colleague, Senator Sherry Rehman concurred, stating all those involved should be put in jail, adding that she was “disgusted” by the misogyny she had seen, presumably online, with some people questioning the girl’s “clothing, life, right to public spaces” following the “heinous” attack.
Pakistani actress Mahira Khan also condemned the events, ironically noting “Damn I’m sorry...I keep forgetting – it was Her fault!! Poor 400 men...they couldn’t help it.” Other celebrities including singer Asim Azhar demanded action from the Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying the government needed to make an example out of the men. “We’re headed somewhere very scary, please stop this Mr. PM,” he added.
I think you are already there, Azim!
Ruling party Senator Faisal Javed Khan responded to the incident and growing calls for action on Twitter stating that the prime minister will not tolerate such “violence and barbaric acts against humanity.”
The video has also been widely shared in India, where sportsman and former Special Forces officer Surendra Poonia was quick to admonish their perennial foe. “Shocking beyond imagination!” wrote Poonia, adding “This is Naya Pakistan..Shameful,” a snide reference to Khan's new vision for the country.
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