Pakistan .. the death penalty for a wealthy beheading his girlfriend

A Pakistani court on Thursday sentenced a man from a prominent industrial family to death after being found guilty of beheading a childhood friend who refused to marry him, and the ruling is likely to be appealed.

Zahir Jaafar's killing of Noor Moghadam last year shocked Pakistan and drew nationwide condemnation, while the subsequent trial received wide media coverage.

Civil society organizations immediately praised the ruling.

Prosecutors alleged that Zaher, 30, had long been friends with Noor Moghadam, the 27-year-old daughter of a diplomat, but she rejected his romantic offers.

In an incident that took place at Zaher Jaafar's house, located in one of the affluent areas of the capital, Islamabad, last July, the public prosecutor said that "Noor Moghadam jumped from the window when Zaher refused to accept her refusal, but he ordered a security guard and a cook to catch her before he killed her."

A video clip circulated on social media at the time showing Zaher dragging her to his house.

The police said in statements submitted to the court during the trial that "Zaher raped Noor Moghadam before he brutally killed her, and the victim went to Zaher's house to bid him farewell, as she was planning to travel abroad."

The court also sentenced two domestic workers to ten years in prison each for complicity in the murder.

Noor Moghadam's family and friends, along with human rights activists, organized a movement to demand justice, held candlelight vigils, and launched a campaign on social media under the hashtag "Justice for Nour".

The father of the victim, Shaukat Ali, welcomed the ruling, saying that he would issue a detailed statement after reading the full court ruling, while there was no immediate comment from Zaher Jaafar's family.

During the trial, Zaher's lawyer portrayed his client as mentally disturbed, and the accused often appeared in an untidy state in the courtroom and sometimes shouted at court officials.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news