Lahore High Court Upholds Death Sentences of Motorway Gang Rape Convicts

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has dismissed the appeals filed by the main convicts in the high-profile motorway gang rape case, upholding the death sentences awarded to them by an anti-terrorism court.

A two-member bench of the Lahore High Court announced its reserved verdict after completing hearings on the appeals submitted by convicts Abid Malhi and Shafqat alias Bagga. The court rejected the appeals in their entirety and maintained the death penalties previously handed down by the trial court.

According to details, the bench headed by Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi found the arguments presented by the convicts insufficient to warrant any relief. The court observed that the decision of the Anti-Terrorism Court was lawful and justified, leaving no room for modification of the sentences.

The motorway gang rape case, in which a woman was assaulted in front of her children on the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway, sparked nationwide outrage and widespread condemnation across Pakistan.

Following a fast-track trial, a special Anti-Terrorism Court in 2021 convicted Abid Malhi and Shafqat Bagga and sentenced both men to death. The convicts subsequently challenged the verdict before the Lahore High Court.

With the dismissal of their appeals, the High Court has affirmed the trial court’s judgment and upheld the death sentences awarded to both convicts.