LHC Upholds Sentences in 2020 Motorway Gang Rape Case

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday dismissed appeals filed by two convicts in the 2020 Sialkot-Lahore Motorway gang rape case, keeping intact the sentences awarded by an anti-terrorism court. The decision marks a major legal development in one of Pakistan’s most widely followed and deeply disturbing criminal cases.

A division bench of the LHC, comprising Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Tariq Mehmood Bajwa, announced the verdict after the prosecution completed its final arguments. The two men, identified in court proceedings as Abid Ali alias Malhi and Shafqat Ali alias Bagga, had challenged their convictions and sentences handed down in March 2021.

The anti-terrorism court had earlier awarded death sentences, life imprisonment and additional jail terms to the convicts after finding them guilty in the case. Their appeals, filed days after the trial court’s judgment, argued that the prosecution’s version contained weaknesses and that the punishment was harsh under legal principles.

During the hearing, the state prosecutor opposed the appeals and urged the high court to maintain the trial court’s verdict. The prosecution argued that the evidence against the convicts was strong and that there was no legal defect in the anti-terrorism court’s decision.

Defence lawyers had already completed their arguments before the prosecution’s final submissions. After considering the positions of both sides, the LHC bench rejected the appeals, meaning the convictions and sentences remain in place unless further legal remedies are pursued before a higher forum.

The case dates back to September 2020, when the assault of a woman on the outskirts of Lahore triggered nationwide outrage. The survivor, a woman of Pakistani origin, had been travelling with her children when her vehicle stopped on the motorway, leading to an incident that shocked the country and intensified public debate over women’s safety.

The public anger grew further after remarks by a senior police official at the time were widely criticised for appearing to question the survivor’s travel choices. Those comments became a flashpoint in the national conversation on victim-blaming, policing standards and the state’s responsibility to protect citizens on major roads and public routes.

The case also had broader implications for criminal justice, as it renewed calls for faster investigations, stronger forensic systems, better motorway security and more sensitive handling of sexual violence survivors. For many Pakistanis, the case became a symbol of the urgent need to improve both safety infrastructure and institutional responses to gender-based violence.

With the LHC now dismissing the appeals, the matter has reached another key stage in the judicial process. Any further legal challenge would depend on the convicts’ next move, while rights advocates and citizens will continue watching how Pakistan’s courts, police and policymakers respond to cases involving violence against women.