Death for demonic crimes

In a nation where the scales of justice often tilt against the most vulnerable, our courts have delivered powerful, unequivocal verdicts that deserve full endorsement from the public. By refusing to show leniency in two of the most horrifying cases in recent memory, the judiciary has reaffirmed that depravity deserves no concession.

This week, a Lahore High Court division bench dismissed the appeals of Abid Malhi and Shafqat Baga, upholding the death sentences handed down by an anti-terrorism court in 2021 for the two men behind the 2020 gang rape of a woman of Pakistani origin on the Sialkot-Lahore motorway, a brutal attack carried out at gunpoint in front of her three young children. The court ruled the death sentences to be "lawful", leaving no room for ambiguity. We applaud this decision. The depravity of raping a mother in front of her children is beyond any comprehension, and the state's ultimate sanction is the only proportionate response.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court closed the chapter on the Noor Mukadam murder case, dismissing Zahir Jaffer's final review plea and sealing his death sentence for the grisly crime. After the Islamabad High Court and Supreme Court had already upheld the conviction, this closure is a testament to the relentless pursuit of justice by the victim's family.

But while these verdicts may help renew faith in the legal system, the social system remains tattered. Gender-based violence is still concerning, and reports indicate that approximately 70% of such crimes are never reported due to social stigma and fear of retaliation. Even when they are reported, the national conviction rate for such crimes is an abysmal 5%, with domestic violence convictions standing at just 1.3%.

Given this reality, the courts' resolute action is critical for punitive and preventive reasons. For the thousands of survivors who were betrayed by the system, we can only hope that seeing others get justice gives them some solace and pushes the government to try and ensure that the ranks of forgotten victims stop increasing.