Additional Sessions Judge Afshan Ijaz Sufi announced the verdict on Friday, bringing closure to a harrowing case that had sparked outrage and calls for justice. Along with the death penalty, the convict has been slapped with a fine of Rs200,000 and ordered to pay Rs500,000 in compensatory damages to the victim. Should the accused fail to pay, he will face six additional months in jail.

The chilling incident took place on July 20, 2024, and was reported at the Saddar Beroni police station under Section 376iii of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with the rape of minors.

According to the victim’s mother, who works as a housemaid, she had left her two children—her 21/22-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son—at home when the rapist broke in around noon. The daughter was brutally assaulted while the children cried for help. It was the brave nine-year-old son who managed to alert someone nearby, who in turn informed the mother and police.

The mother had pleaded with authorities to ensure the strictest possible punishment, saying, “No mother should suffer what I have endured.”

This case, now concluded with a rare and decisive sentence, is being viewed as a milestone in the fight for justice in Pakistan’s legal system, especially under the new anti-rape legislation.