Lahore High Court (LHC) quashed the appeals of convicts Abid Malhi and Shafqat Baga, upholding the death sentences awarded to them in the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway gang rape case.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi announced the verdict after hearing arguments from both sides.
During proceedings, defence counsel argued that the trial court had not properly appreciated the facts of the case and had failed to adequately consider the defence stance. They requested the court to overturn the convictions and acquit the appellants.
Opposing the appeals, Prosecutor Raheela Shahid maintained that the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) had decided the case on merit, based on substantial evidence, and urged the court to maintain the convictions. After hearing the arguments, the LHC rejected the appeals and upheld the sentences awarded by the trial court.
Punjab Prosecutor General Syed Farhad Ali Shah lauded the prosecution team for its handling of the case.
ATC had sentenced both convicts to death on March 20, 2021, for their involvement in the rape incident on the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway. The convicts had challenged the verdict in the LHC on March 25, 2021.
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