Prime accused and co-accused in motorway gang-rape case awarded death sentence

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore has awarded death sentence to prime accused and co-accused – Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali – in the motorway gang-rape case that sparked a countrywide outrage last year. On September 9, 2020, prime accused raped a woman at gunpoint in Gujjarpura area while she was waiting for help on the motorway after her car ran out of fuel.

The court also awarded life imprisonment to both convicts under the charges of abduction and 14-years imprisonment to each accused under the charges of robbery.

The incident shook the whole nation and raised questions about basic security in the country. The appalling incident also set off a debate on mainstream and social media on behavioural tendencies and the alarming rise in the cases of sexual violence in the country.

Source: Express Tribune