A sessions court in Islamabad issued a written order warning Zahir Jaffer, the primary accused in the Noor Mukadam murder case, that his court appearances would be disallowed if he continued his outbursts, it emerged on Saturday.

The order, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, states: "Zahir Zakir created fuss in the court and tried to interfere in the proceedings. He is directed to mend his attitude otherwise his attendance will be exempted from the court and he will be taken on video link from jail."

It said that Inspector Mustafa Kiani had also submitted a report regarding Zahir's behaviour with police officials deputed on security at the court premises. The order was issued regarding a hearing of the Noor murder case on November 3 (Wednesday).

During the hearing, Zahir had tried to disrupt the proceedings and hurled obscenities at Additional Sessions Judge Ata Rabbani.

"This court is nothing but dirt. This court is dragging this because they have no power. I have never seen something more fake.

"I'm giving you guys an opportunity to hang me but still you guys are dragging it. This all is a puppet show [...] I have never seen more incompetent people in a room in my entire life," he had said.

Following the outburst, the judge had directed police officials to take Zahir away, terming it a "drama". As the police had moved to restrain him, Zahir had grabbed Inspector Kiani by the collar. Video footage of the incident showed policemen dragging Zahir out of the courtroom. After he kept on resisting, four policemen carried Zahir out and took him back to the lockup.

Judge Rabbani had said he would not issue a contempt notice to the suspect but would start conducting the trial in jail.

In the written order that was issued later the same day on Nov 3, the judge directed the prosecution to produce the remaining witnesses on Nov 10 (Wednesday).

Inspector Kiani had later also registered a case against Zahir at the Margalla police station under Sections 353/186 (interfering in the state function) and 325 (attempt to commit suicide) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Case background

Noor, 27, was found murdered at a residence in Islamabad's upscale Sector F-7/4 on July 20.

A first information report (FIR) was registered the same day against Zahir, who was arrested from the site of the murder, under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the victim's father, Shaukat Ali Mukadam.

At around 10pm on July 20, Shaukat had received a call from Kohsar police station, informing him that Noor had been murdered.

Police had subsequently taken the complainant 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 beheaded", according to the FIR.

Zahir's parents and household staff were also arrested on July 24 over allegations of "hiding evidence and being complicit in the crime". They were made a part of the investigation based on Shaukat's statement, according to a police spokesperson.

Shaukat, who identified his daughter's body, has sought the maximum punishment under the law against Zahir for allegedly murdering his daughter.

Police later said that Zahir had confessed to killing Noor while his DNA test and fingerprints also showed his involvement in the murder.