Islamabad High Court reserved judgment in miscellaneous applications related to Noor Muqaddam’s murder on Thursday.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Aamer Farooq heard the petition. The accused, Zahir Jaffer, had asked the court to make his US passport a part of the proceedings.

However, Justice Aamer Farooq questioned whether a person can be permitted to commit crimes just because they are a foreign national.

“The accused can belong to any country, but Pakistan’s law will apply to him,” the judge said.

The decision in the case was reserved and will be announced after the court’s winter vacation.

Zahir Jaffer was sentenced to death in February this year for Noor Muqaddam’s murder. In addition to asking relief on the basis of foreign nationality, Jaffer’s lawyers have also pleaded that he is not mentally fit enough to be considered responsible for his actions and cannot be tried.