Pakistan announces death sentence for two men convicted in motorway gang-rape case

Policemen escort Shafqat Ali (face covered), one of two suspects in the gang-rape case, as they leave from a local court in Lahore on September 15, 2020. (AFP/File)
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Updated 21 March 2021
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Pakistan announces death sentence for two men convicted in motorway gang-rape case

  • The assault took place last September along a major highway in front of the survivor's children
  • Fewer than 3 percent of sexual assault or rape cases result in a conviction in Pakistan, rights groups say

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court in Lahore awarded the death sentence to two men convicted of gang-raping a woman in front of her children along a major highway last September in a case that led to protests across the country, officials confirmed while talking to Arab News on Saturday.

The assault took place while the woman, a French national of Pakistani origin, was traveling on the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway on September 9 and her car ran out of fuel, after which she was accosted by Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali.

Ali was arrested in September, and Malhi in October after Punjab police launched a weeks-long manhunt.

Saturday’s verdict was announced by the anti-terrorism court of Judge Arshad Hussain Bhatta who also gave the two men life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs.50,000 each on them.

“It was a blind case and a big challenge for police,” Raja Basharat, Punjab’s provincial law minister, told Arab News. “However, they investigated it professionally and managed to solve the case.”

The minister said prosecuting the case was yet another challenge, adding that the government had proved its ability to provide justice to people in a short span.

“I think such quick decisions by the judiciary will also restore people’s confidence in state institutions,” he noted. “It’s a healthy sign, and everyone is appreciating this decision for which the credit goes to the provincial administration.” 

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar also welcomed the anti-terrorism court’s ruling in an official statement, saying that “those who abuse women and children are also terrorists.” 

“The rule of law and the provision of justice is the first priority of the government,” he continued. “At any level, oppression and injustice will not be tolerated.”

However, a prominent human rights activist Tahira Abdullah described the verdict as “a populist judgment.”

“It does nothing to end violence against women or the crime of rape against women,” she said. “We have a minimum of seven anti-rape laws in Pakistan that date back to 1929. Have these deaths ended rape against women?” 

Criticizing the idea of “retributive justice,” Abdullah said everyone should be clear about the fundamental objective that should be achieved while dealing with such cases.

“For me it is deterrence to end crimes of violence and rape in Pakistan,” she maintained while adding that the court should have given “life sentence until death, not life sentence until 14 or 20 years” while deciding the case. 

According to the Karachi-based group War Against Rape, fewer than three percent of sexual assault or rape cases result in a conviction in Pakistan. 

Faisal Javed Khan, a senator belonging to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party and a close aide to Prime Minister Imran Khan, applauded the verdict on Twitter, saying: “This is a very welcome decision. Such monsters should be made an example of.”


Pakistani province offers to help build cancer hospital in Afghanistan

Updated 12 July 2025
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Pakistani province offers to help build cancer hospital in Afghanistan

  • Ali Amin Gandapur tells Afghan envoy his administration is ready to support the welfare of the Afghan people
  • KP chief minister says he wants to send a delegation to the neighboring state to ‘promote trust and harmony’

ISLAMABAD: The provincial administration of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Saturday offered assistance to build a cancer hospital in neighboring Afghanistan during a meeting between Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Afghan envoy to Pakistan, Sardar Ahmad Shakib.

KP shares a long and porous border with Afghanistan and maintains strong cultural and linguistic ties with Pashtun populations across the frontier.

The province has also experienced a major surge in militant violence in recent months, with Pakistani officials frequently accusing armed groups based in Afghanistan of orchestrating cross-border attacks, a claim the Taliban government in Kabul denies.

“Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur held an important meeting with Afghanistan’s Ambassador Sardar Ahmad Shakib, during which bilateral relations, mutual cooperation and regional stability were discussed in detail,” the KP administration said in a statement.

“Gandapur offered assistance in establishing a cancer hospital in Afghanistan and assured full support in the agricultural sector [to Kabul] as well,” it added. “He expressed his commitment that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is ready to play every possible role in the welfare of the Afghan people.”

Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan became strained in 2023 when Islamabad launched a major crackdown on undocumented migrants, most of them Afghans, citing security concerns.

While Pakistan’s federal administration and military adopted a tough posture toward Kabul, it was widely reported in the local media that the KP government wanted diplomatic engagement with Afghan Taliban, signaling an interest in negotiated cooperation.

The two sides have recently sought to reset relations and agreed to appoint ambassadors following a China-facilitated tripartite meeting this year.

Saturday’s discussion also emphasized the deep cultural and ethnic links between the two countries, with both sides agreeing that these bonds should be strengthened through mutual respect and cooperation.

The statement said Gandapur plans to send a special delegation to Afghanistan “to serve as a bridge between the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan and to promote trust and harmony.”

Ambassador Shakib expressed appreciation for the KP government’s support for Afghan refugees and reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing bilateral ties through peaceful and people-centric initiatives.


Pakistan’s climate minister orders action over black bear killing in northern region

Updated 12 July 2025
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Pakistan’s climate minister orders action over black bear killing in northern region

  • Video of the incident shows men pushing an unconscious bear down a rocky slope
  • Dr. Musadik Malik calls such acts of violence against wildlife ‘utterly unacceptable’

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change Dr. Musadik Malik on Saturday ordered strict action against a group of people who killed a black bear in the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan, according to an official statement, saying such brutality cannot be overlooked under any circumstances.

A video of the incident circulating on social media shows three individuals pushing the unconscious bear down a rocky mountainside. Authorities have already lodged a police complaint and are working with the local community to ensure the accused are brought to justice.

“Such acts of violence against wildlife are utterly unacceptable and will not be allowed to continue under any circumstances,” an official statement quoted Malik as saying.

This screengrab from a viral video shows a Himalayan black bear being thrown off a cliff after reportedly being tortured and killed in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. (APP/Screengrab)

It added he had “directed the Wildlife Management Boards to take strict and immediate action against those responsible.”

The minister also stressed his commitment to protecting Pakistan’s wildlife and enforcing conservation laws across all regions, adding that community engagement was critical to prevent such incidents.

Acts of animal cruelty are not rare in Pakistan. In June 2024, a landlord in Sanghar district, Sindh, ordered the brutal amputation of a camel’s leg for straying into his fields. Days later, another mutilated camel was found dead in the region with its legs amputated.

Animal rights activists have also condemned practices like bear dancing, where the animals are trained by being forced to stand on hot metal plates, and bear baiting, a blood sport in which the chained bear is attacked by dogs for public spectacle.

Though officially banned, both practices have been reported in parts of the country over the years.


Pakistan PM defends tough structural reforms, says country can’t afford ‘business as usual’

Updated 12 July 2025
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Pakistan PM defends tough structural reforms, says country can’t afford ‘business as usual’

  • Shehbaz Sharif describes Pakistan’s economic stabilization efforts as ‘a long and thorny journey’
  • He says merit is central to his governance model as his administration works to fix the economy

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday strongly defended his government’s structural reform agenda, particularly in tax administration, saying that difficult and often unpopular decisions were necessary to rebuild national institutions, as the country could no longer afford “business as usual.”

Speaking at an orientation session for participants of the Uraan Pakistan youth program, Sharif recalled the fragile economic conditions he inherited after assuming power following last year’s general elections.

He noted that Pakistan had narrowly avoided a sovereign default in mid-2023, when inflation surged to nearly 38 percent, before securing a critical bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The prime minister said his administration took on the “onerous task” of stabilizing the economy under immense pressure, choosing to pursue long-delayed reforms rather than temporary fixes.

“Pakistan had to undertake these long-overdue, deep structural changes if we had to find our lost place in the comity of nations through hard and untiring efforts,” he said.

Sharif pointed to a set of key reforms aligned with IMF recommendations, including the digitization of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

He noted the transition from paper-based tax systems to digital and AI-led processes was already bearing fruit.

“Faceless interactions — these terminologies were unknown in FBR,” he said, adding that one previously underperforming sector saw its tax contribution rise from Rs12 billion to over Rs50 billion within a year due to improved enforcement.

The prime minister said his administration had prioritized accountability, removing senior FBR officials accused of corruption and resisting political pressure in doing so.

“It’s a long and thorny journey,” he continued. “We are facing bumps on the way and mountain-like impediments. But I can assure you, we will not shy away from discharging our responsibility.”

Sharif maintained that merit would remain the cornerstone of his governance model.

“Delivery is the name of the game,” he said. “Performance is the name of the game.”


Pakistan won’t send hockey teams to India — official sources

Updated 12 July 2025
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Pakistan won’t send hockey teams to India — official sources

  • The two nuclear-armed states had a four-day military standoff in May that left 70 people dead
  • Pakistan’s refusal to participate in the Asia Cup can cost the team a place in next year’s World Cup

KARACHI: Pakistan will not travel to India for upcoming hockey tournaments over “security” concerns, government sources told AFP on Saturday, potentially jeopardizing their place in next year’s World Cup.

The nuclear-armed neighbors traded the worst violence in decades during a four-day conflict in May that killed 70 people.

Pakistan was due to participate in the Men’s Asia Cup for field hockey to be hosted by India in August and September, for which the federation had sought the government’s clearance.

“After the recent war the security and safety of our hockey players will be at risk,” said a sports ministry source, who asked not to be identified.

Pakistan will also not participate in the Junior World Cup in India in November, the source said.

Once a force in international hockey, with three Olympic gold medals and four world titles, Pakistan has slumped to 15th in the rankings.

Not featuring in the Asia Cup will likely cost Pakistan a place in next year’s senior World Cup to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium.

A second government source also confirmed the decision to AFP.

Pakistan’s foreign office has not responded to AFP’s request for comment.

India stalled all bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which it blamed on militants based across the border.

Cricket has been the most affected sport, with the two countries only meeting each other in multinational events abroad.

India refused to visit Pakistan this year when it hosted the Champions Trophy, forcing the final to be staged on neutral ground in Dubai.

In a tit-for-tat move, Pakistan will also not send its women’s cricket team to India for the 50-over World Cup later this year and the T20 World Cup in 2026.

They agreed instead to play their matches in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan’s hockey team last toured India for the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy, finishing fifth among six teams.


Pakistan seeks closer security ties with Bahrain to curb drugs, human smuggling

Updated 12 July 2025
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Pakistan seeks closer security ties with Bahrain to curb drugs, human smuggling

  • Both countries share a longstanding partnership spanning diplomacy, security and people-to-people ties
  • Mohsin Naqvi emphasizes enhanced cooperation in counterterrorism during his visit to the Gulf country

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday called for deeper cooperation with Bahrain to combat narcotics trafficking and human smuggling, as both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral security ties during his official visit to the Gulf state.

Pakistan and Bahrain share a longstanding relationship encompassing diplomacy, security, economic exchange and people-to-people links. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1971, the two nations have developed close political and military cooperation, including defense training, joint security initiatives and regular high-level engagements.

In recent years, with rising concerns over drug trafficking and human smuggling, both countries have intensified efforts to coordinate through formal channels to facilitate intelligence sharing and law enforcement collaboration.

“Enhanced cooperation between the interior ministries of Pakistan and Bahrain to counter narcotics and human smuggling is the need of the hour,” Naqvi said, according to an official statement issued after his meeting with his Bahraini counterpart, General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.

The ministers discussed issues of mutual interest and emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation in counterterrorism.

The discussion also emphasized the need to enhance the effectiveness of the Pakistan–Bahrain Joint Security Committee, a formal mechanism for coordinating on counterterrorism and related issues, while exploring ways to jointly address broader regional and global security challenges.

Bahrain’s interior minister welcomed the visit as an opportunity to deepen existing ties, describing the security cooperation and coordination between the two countries as “valued and constructive.”

He also expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s continued engagement across a range of sectors, with particular emphasis on security.