Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has praised Pakistan’s judiciary after the Lahore High Court upheld death sentences in the 2020 motorway gang-rape case. The reaction matters because it has drawn international attention to one of Pakistan’s most significant criminal cases. The ruling affects the convicted men, the victim’s pursuit of justice, and public confidence in the legal system.
Musk responded to the court’s decision on X, where he commended the outcome and suggested Western countries should take a similar approach to serious crimes. His comments quickly gained traction on social media and sparked debate among users worldwide. The post brought renewed global focus to the high-profile case and Pakistan’s judicial process.
Read more: Elon Musk loses major legal battle against OpenAI leaders
The Lahore High Court delivered the verdict through a two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Tariq Mahmood Bajwa. The court dismissed appeals filed by convicts Abid Malhi and Shafqat Baga and upheld the death sentences awarded by an anti-terrorism court. It also maintained all other punishments imposed during the original trial.
Some good news to come out of Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/MZq2Fx7dfm
— Rupert Lowe MP (@RupertLowe10) June 3, 2026
During the proceedings, defence lawyers argued that the trial court had failed to properly evaluate the evidence and requested the convictions be overturned. However, prosecutors maintained that strong evidence linked both men to the crime. They urged the court to uphold the verdict, citing the findings presented during the investigation and trial.
Read more: SpaceX launches ipo roadshow targeting record trillion valuation
The motorway gang-rape case has remained one of Pakistan’s most closely followed criminal cases since the incident near Lahore in September 2020. Investigators relied on DNA evidence and digital records to identify and arrest the suspects. Punjab Prosecutor General Farhad Ali Shah welcomed the ruling and described it as the result of years of work by investigators and prosecutors.