An anti-terrorism court in Lahore has sentenced both accused, Abid Malhi, and Shafqat Ali, to death for gang-raping a woman on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway last year. The court, which had reserved the verdict earlier on Thursday, pronounced it today.
The trial of the suspects was conducted in Lahore’s Camp Jail, and ATC Judge Arshad Hussain Bhatta supervised the proceedings. The verdict has a significant value as for the first time in history have suspected of rape/gang-rape have been punished with a capital sentence.
Both perpetrators were also given a life imprisonment sentence and slapped with a fine of Rs. 50,000 each.
The ruling that was given at 5:25 pm on Saturday, came six and a half months after the crime took place. A total of 53 witnesses were presented by the prosecutor over the period. The complainant of the FIR and the person who reported the incident on the police emergency helpline.
Details of the Punishment
The convicts have been sentenced to death under 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The court has also ruled to confiscate their property in favor of the State under 365-A of the PPC.
They have been awarded 14 years of rigorous imprisonment of 14 years under 392 of the PPC, along with a fine of Rs. 200,000. Further, the convict shall undergo six months of suspended imprisonment (SI).
The culprits will also undergo five years of RI with a fine of Rs. 50.000 under 440 PPC. They have also been ordered to pay Daman of Rs. 50,000 to the victim under 337-F1 and another Rs. 50,000 under 337-L2. The culprits will be sent from Camp Jail to Kot Lakhpat Jail, where the sentence will be carried out.
The court ruled that all sentences shall go concurrently.
The Backgrounder
The incident occurred on September 9 last year in Lahore’s Gujjarpura area, when the two suspects, Abid and Shafqat had raped a woman at gunpoint in front of her three children. The victim was reportedly waiting for help on the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway (M-11) as her car had run out of fuel.
Besides, the two culprits stole Rs. 100,000 worth of money, jewelry, and ATM cards before fleeing, the woman had told police at the time. An FIR of the case was lodged at the Gujjarpura police station under sections 376, 392, and 427of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
The heart-wrenching incident caused an uproar across the country over sexual violence against women and a lack of accountability. It also made headlines worldwide. Despite all the pressure, it took one month for Punjab Police to catch the prime suspect Abid Malhi. Media reports suggested that Abid’s father had turned his son in without him knowing.
The Anti-Rape Ordinance
Soon after the incident, Prime Minister Imran Khan called for the public hanging of rapists to control rising sexual violence in the country. The government, however, settled down to hanging (not public hanging) of therapists and chemically castrating them.
Later, in November 2020, President Dr. Arif Alvi, enacted the Anti-Rape Ordinance 2020, ensuring speedy trial of rape cases with women and children as victims and allowing for chemical castration of those convicted of such offenses.
Here is Neelam Aslam’s take on the development:
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