A Pakistani appellate court on Wednesday upheld the death sentences of Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali for the 2020 gang-rape of a French tourist on the Sialkot-Lahore Motorway, according to the English-language Pakistani news outlet Dawn. the attack, which occurred on September 9, 2020, while the woman and her three children were stranded after their car ran out of fuel, shocked the country and triggered mass protests over victim-blaming remarks by a senior police official.

Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali's Appeal Rejected: Two Judges Cite Overwhelming Evidence

According to Dawn, the two judges dismissed the appeal after prosecutors argued that there was overwhelming evidence against the men. malhi and Ali had been convicted in March 2021 by an anti-terrorism court on charges of gang rape, kidnapping, robbery, and terrorism. The defense had claimed gaps in the prosecution's case and that the verdict was unjust, but the appellate court upheld the original death penalty. The convictions were supported by DNA evidence from the crime scene,mobile phone data that tracked the suspects, a confession by Ali before a magistrate, and the survivor's identification of the men during a court hearing.

Police Officer Umer Sheikh's Victim-Blaming Question That Ignited Nationwide Protests

The day after the attack, senior Lahore police official Umer Sheikh publicly questioned why the French tourist had been out late alone with her young children and why she did not take a busier road. His remarks triggered a firestorm on social media, with Pakistanis condemning the victim-blaming and demanding accountability. The backlash escalated into mass protests across the country, highlighting deep-seated issues in how sexual violence is treated by authorities. the case became a flashpoint for activists pushing for harsher penalties for rapists, though human rights groups remain concerned about Pakistan's frequent use of the death penalty.

What the Defence Called 'Gaps' in the Case Remains Unclear

The source report from Dawn notes that the defense argued there were unspecified gaps in the prosecution's version of events and that the judge's decision was unjust. However, the appellate court did not provide detailed reasoning for rejecting these arguments, leaving open questions about what specific evidentiary or procedural issues were raised. The lack of detail means that while the death sentence stands, the full legal basis for upholding it is not public,which may fuel further debate about due process in Pakistan's anti-terrorism courts.

Why Many Pakistani Rape Survivors Avoid Reporting: Stigma and Systemic Failures

Although sexual abuse against Pakistani women is common, crimes against foreigners are rare, according to the source report . Many Pakistani women choose not to report rape due to social stigma and a legal system where perpetrators often evade punishment because of poor police investigations. Pakistan is one of the world's heaviest users of the death penalty, according to Justice Project Pakistan, with all executions carried out by hanging. The foreign-national nature of this case may have contributed to the swift conviction and harsh sentence, raising concerns about unequal justice for domestic victims who face greater barriers to reporting.