‘Bravo Pakistan’: Elon Musk Reacts Pakistan’s Judicial Decision on X
• Elon Musk applauds Pakistan’s judicial decision on X
• LHC rejects appeals of motorway rape convicts
• Death sentences of Abid Malhi and Shafqat Baga upheld
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has praised Pakistan’s judicial system after the Lahore High Court upheld the death sentences of two men convicted in the 2020 motorway gang-rape case, calling for a similar approach in Western countries.
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Reacting to the court’s decision on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk wrote: “Bravo, Pakistan! This is what we should be doing in the West.”
His remarks came after the Lahore High Court on Wednesday dismissed appeals filed by Abid Malhi and Shafqat Baga and maintained the punishments awarded to them in one of Pakistan’s most high-profile criminal cases.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Tariq Mahmood Bajwa announced the verdict after hearing detailed arguments from both the defence and prosecution.
The court upheld the death sentences awarded by the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) and maintained all other punishments previously handed down to the convicts.
During the hearing, lawyers representing the appellants argued that the trial court had not properly assessed the facts of the case and failed to adequately consider the defence’s position. They requested the court to overturn the death sentences and order the release of the accused.
However, Prosecutor Raheela Shahid opposed the appeals, arguing that the Anti-Terrorism Court had delivered a lawful judgment based on strong evidence. She urged the court to reject the appeals and maintain the convictions.
Punjab Prosecutor General Farhad Ali Shah later said the case had been a major challenge for the state and highlighted the role played by prosecutors in securing convictions. He stated that investigators identified the accused through the victim’s account, while DNA evidence linked Abid Malhi to the crime scene. The second accused, Shafqat Baga, was traced and arrested through call data records.
According to the prosecution, extensive efforts were made throughout the investigation and trial process to ensure justice for the victim and her family.
The case stems from an incident that shocked the nation in September 2020. An FIR was registered at Gujjarpura Police Station in Lahore on September 9, 2020, following the motorway gang-rape incident.
On March 20, 2021, Anti-Terrorism Court No. 1 Lahore sentenced both convicts to death for rape. In addition, the court handed them 14-year prison terms and imposed fines of Rs250,000 each for robbery.
The trial court also sentenced the convicts to life imprisonment for abducting the victim’s children and awarded an additional five-year prison sentence for damaging the victim’s vehicle.
Both men challenged the Anti-Terrorism Court verdict before the Lahore High Court on March 25, 2021. After several years of legal proceedings, the high court has now rejected their appeals, leaving the original convictions and sentences intact.
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