LAHORE (Muhammad Ashfaq) - The Lahore High Court (LHC) has dismissed appeals filed by convicts Abid Malhi and Shafqat Baga against their convictions in the motorway gang rape case, upholding the death sentences awarded to both men.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi announced the verdict after hearing arguments from both sides.
During the proceedings, counsel for the convicts argued that the trial court had failed to properly assess the facts of the case and had not adequately considered the defence's position. The lawyer requested the court to overturn the death sentences and order the release of the appellants.
Opposing the appeals, Prosecutor Raheela Shahid maintained that the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) had delivered its verdict on merit and that substantial evidence existed against both convicts. She urged the court to dismiss the appeals.
After hearing the arguments, the high court rejected the appeals and upheld the sentences awarded by the trial court.
Punjab Prosecutor General Syed Farhad Ali Shah praised the prosecution team for effectively presenting the case.
The ATC had sentenced Abid Malhi and Shafqat Baga to death on March 20, 2021, for the rape of a woman on the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway. The convicts challenged the verdict before the Lahore High Court on March 25, 2021.