Son of a Rich Pakistani Family Conicted of Murdering Girl Who Wouldn't Marry Him

A court in Pakistan sentenced a man to death for raping and murdering the daughter of a former diplomat who refused his offer of marriage.  27-year-old Noor Muqaddam was beaten, raped and beheaded by Zahir Jaffer, the son of one of Pakistan's richest families.

The murder caused nationwide revulsion and prompted demands for more to be done to ensure women's safety.  It brought calls for an overhaul of Pakistan's criminal justice system, which has very low conviction rates, particularly for crimes against women.  Hundreds of women are killed in the country each year, and thousands suffer violence. Many cases go unreported.

Jaffer held Noor Muqaddam hostage for two days at his family home in a posh district of the capital after she refused to marry him.  Security footage showed Muqaddam trying in vain to escape.  At one of the hearings Jaffer told journalists: "I was angry, I killed Noor with a knife."  Two of Jaffer's household employees were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for abetting the murder, while his parents were acquitted of trying to cover it up. 

Noor's father, Shaukat Muqaddam, called the verdict a victory for justice and said he wanted to ensure abusers and killers of women in Pakistan no longer got away with their crimes. "I am happy that justice has been served," he said.  "I've been saying that this is not just my daughter's case, it is a case for all the daughters of my country."  He pledged to challenge the acquittal of Jaffer's parents.