Islamabad-Duty Magistrate Shehzad Khan on Sunday sent four suspects –Zahir Jaffer’s parents and two servants – in police custody for two days.
The suspects have been identified as Zakir Jaffer, Asmat Adam Jee (parents of alleged killer) and their servants Iftikhar and Jameel.
On Saturday, the investigators of Homicide Investigation Unit (HIU) of Police Station (PS) Kohsar had nabbed the parents and two servants of suspected killer Zahir Zakir Jaffer, involved in detaining Noor Mukaddam and beheading her with a sharp knife in his house located at F-7/4, for “hiding evidence and being complicit in the gruesome murder.”
According to details, a heavy contingent of Islamabad police including lady cops produced the four suspects before court of Duty Magistrate Shehzad Khan amid tight security. An investigation officer of the murder case told the court that Noor Mukaddam was detained in a room by Zahir Jaffer from where she had jumped from an air shaft in order to escape. 
The woman fell down in courtyard and sustained injuries, he said adding that a guard and a cook saw the suspect dragging Noor back into the room by pulling her from hair.
If the servants had informed the police timely, the murder could have been prevented, the investigation officer argued.
He said a neighbour had called police and they had reached the house and overwhelmed the killer along with seizing pistol, knife, knuckle duster and medicines from crime scene. He said the four suspects were held by police on charges of hiding crime. 
The investigation officer requested the court to grant physical remand of the suspects so that their mobile phones could be retrieved for further investigation. 
The investigation officer said the four suspects had obtained bails. Yet they had not submitted surety bonds with the court, therefore they were held by police. 
Opposing the comments of the investigation officer, Advocate Rizwan Abbasi, the counsel for parents of Zahir Jaffar and two servants, said his clients condemned the murder.  He said his clients wanted justice to be done. He argued police held them despite having obtained bails.  
“We will get a contempt case and an FIR registered against police,” the lawyer said.
The defense counsel also went on to say that his clients never supported the suspects. He said his clients phoned the management of Therapy Works to go to their house to control Zahir after they were informed by the servants on phone about the acts of their son. He said his clients came to know about murder of Noor only after it was committed. 
“My clients came from Karachi to Islamabad themselves and went to the police station to join police inquiry,” he said.
Salaar Khan, the lawyer appearing on behalf of Shaukat Ali Mukaddam, father of Noor, said that the due process of law must be followed. He argued that the parents and two servants of main accused should remain in police custody for investigation.
After hearing the arguments of both parties, the court granted police two-day physical remand of Zahir’s parents and his servants. 
Earlier, Islamabad police held four suspects. A police spokesperson Zia Bajwa said several people including Zahir’s father Zakir Jaffer, mother Asmat Adam Jee and servants Iftikhar and Jameel were included in the investigation based on the statement of the victim’s father, former ambassador Shaukat Ali Mukadam.
Besides, people who are connected to the case as witnesses or in any other capacity are also being included in the investigation, he said, adding that evidences were being collected from all the people to resolve the case.
A well-placed source disclosed to The Nation that the police investigators may include two common friends of Zahir Jaffar and Noor – namely Murad Jamali and Danial Ahmed Khan, aka Danial Khan, the owner of a sheesha cafe – in the investigation of murder case as the duo along with four other friends were also present outside the house where the gruesome murder of Noor occurred. They said police investigators could grill them on charges as to why they did not alert police about detention of Noor by Zahir Jaffar. 
Islamabad police are to produce Zahir Zakir Jaffer today (Monday) before a court of law after expiry of his two-day remand. Earlier, a duty magistrate had granted police extension in remand of Zahir after police told that killer tortured Noor with a knuckle duster before beheading her with a sharp knife.
Meanwhile, Zakir Jaffer, father of accused Zahir Jaffer, while responding to media queries, said it was a very tragic and heinous crime. He said he expressed his sorrow with Mukaddam family, whom he knew personally.  He said, “I myself want justice to be done in the tragic incident as Noor is also very dear to me.” However, Zakir Jaffer remained tight-lipped when he was asked if they knew Zahir Jaffer was not mentally stable.