The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued its detailed verdict upholding the death sentences awarded to the two convicts in the high-profile motorway gang rape case, dismissing their appeals against the punishment.
Read More: LHC upholds death sentences in motorway gang–rape case
The 17-page judgment, authored by a two-member bench headed by Justice Shehbaz Rizvi, emphasised that crimes of sexual violence against women create fear and insecurity in society and that unwarranted leniency in such cases would undermine justice and the rule of law.
The court described DNA evidence as one of the most reliable means of establishing the truth, noting that blood samples collected from the crime scene matched the DNA profile of convict Abid Ali. The judgment stated that forensic evidence strongly corroborated the prosecution’s case and that the convicts’ denial could not outweigh compelling medical, eyewitness and scientific evidence presented before the court.
According to the verdict, the offenders violated the victim’s dignity and personal autonomy in an exceptionally brutal manner. The court observed that the crime represented one of the gravest forms of sexual violence and had deeply shocked the judicial conscience while causing widespread fear and distress within society.
The judgment further highlighted that the survivor consistently identified both convicts during the identification parade and later in court without hesitation. It noted that the defence had not challenged the identification process, strengthening the credibility of the prosecution’s evidence.
The court also stressed that the identity of survivors in rape cases must remain confidential at all stages of legal proceedings. It directed trial courts to prevent any questions during cross-examination that could reveal a survivor’s identity.
Medical examinations confirmed evidence of sexual assault and resistance, while forensic analysis matched DNA samples recovered from the victim’s clothing with both convicts.
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The court ruled that the absence of testimony from minor children did not weaken the prosecution’s case and reaffirmed the death sentences awarded to convicts Abid Malhi and Shafqat Baga. The appeals had originally been dismissed on June 3, 2026, with the detailed judgment now released.