Lahore High Court Upholds Death Sentences in 2020 Motorway Gang Rape Case

A Lahore High Court division bench on Wednesday dismissed appeals filed by two men convicted in the 2020 Sialkot-Lahore Motorway gang rape case, upholding their death sentences and imprisonment terms.

Abid Ali alias Malhi and Shafqat Ali alias Bagga were originally sentenced by an anti-terrorism court on March 20, 2021, with the convicts challenging their convictions on March 25, 2021. The appeals argued multiple infirmities undermined the prosecution’s case and rendered the trial court’s judgment excessive.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Tariq Mehmood Bajwa delivered the verdict after the prosecution concluded its arguments, with the state prosecutor asserting overwhelming evidence supported the convictions and found no flaws in the trial court’s decision. Defense counsel completed their arguments prior to the prosecution’s final submission.

The convicted individuals abducted and sexually assaulted a French national of Pakistani origin in front of her three children after forcing her from her vehicle during a late-night journey on the Sialkot-Lahore Motorway. The Gujjarpura police registered an FIR on September 9, 2020, encompassing charges under the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

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