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Judge Ali Baqar Najafi of the LHC. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) has strongly condemned the “misogynistic and irresponsible comments” made by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi regarding the Noor Mukadam murder case.
The commission said the comments reflect “a harmful mindset that shifts responsibility from perpetrators of violence to women themselves.”
Justice Najafi, a member of the three Supreme Court judges who upheld the death sentence for Noor’s killer, attributed the gruesome murder to “a societal vice.”
In his supplementary note, the judge upheld the sentence handed down to Zahir and observed that “the present case is a direct result of a vice which spreads in high society which we call ‘living relationship’.” [sic]’”.
In a statement released Friday, the NCSW said it “strongly condemns” Judge Najafi’s comments.
“Such statements clearly blame victims and reflect a harmful mindset that shifts responsibility from perpetrators of violence to women themselves,” the commission said. “No woman’s choice, real or perceived, can ever justify or explain brutality, murder or any form of gender-based violence. »
The commission noted that Justice Najafi’s comments also contradicted an earlier judgment by Justice Ayesha Malik, who stressed that the language used for victims should be “sensitive, respectful and free from the judges’ personal biases.”
According to the NCSW, Justice Malik’s judgment called on the judiciary to avoid moralistic and stereotypical discourse that shames or blames women.
“The comments made in this case disregard this judicial responsibility and risk undermining public trust,” the statement said. “NCSW calls on all members of the judiciary to respect constitutional values, maintain impartiality, and ensure that courts remain spaces where survivors and victims are treated with dignity and respect,” it adds.
