LAHORE: Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has praised Pakistan after the Lahore High Court upheld the death sentences of two men convicted in the 2020 Sialkot-Lahore Motorway gang rape case, saying Western countries should adopt a similar approach toward heinous crimes.
Reacting to a post about the court’s decision on X, Musk wrote: “Bravo Pakistan! This is what we should be doing in the West.” The comment quickly gained attention online, with many users debating the effectiveness of capital punishment as a deterrent against violent crimes.
Musk’s remarks came shortly after a Lahore High Court division bench dismissed the appeals filed by convicted rapists Abid Ali alias Malhi and Shafqat Ali alias Bagga, upholding the sentences awarded by an anti-terrorism court in 2021.
Elon posted another post on X, replying to daily mail that it was the right sentence awarded by Pakistani courts.
The two convicts had challenged their convictions, arguing that inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case created reasonable doubt and that the punishments imposed by the trial court were excessive. However, after hearing arguments from both sides, the high court upheld the original verdict.
The case shocked Pakistan and drew international attention in September 2020 when a French woman of Pakistani origin was gang-raped in front of her three children after her vehicle ran out of fuel on the Sialkot-Lahore Motorway late at night. The attackers allegedly dragged the woman from her car before carrying out the assault.
The incident sparked widespread outrage across the country and renewed calls for stronger measures to combat sexual violence and improve public safety. It also led to intense public debate after controversial comments by a senior police official appeared to place some responsibility on the victim.
An anti-terrorism court sentenced the two men to death, along with life imprisonment and additional jail terms, in March 2021. The Lahore High Court’s latest ruling effectively upholds those punishments.
Musk’s endorsement of the verdict has reignited discussion on criminal justice policies, with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO suggesting that tougher penalties for crimes such as gang rape could serve as a stronger deterrent and should be considered by Western nations.