The Supreme Court (SC) dismissed on Tuesday convict Imran Ali's appeal against the death sentence handed to him by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) for the rape and murder of Zainab.

The three-member bench at the SC's Lahore registry dismissed the convict's petition and sustained the verdict of ATC in sentencing him to death on four counts. According to local media reports, the decision to uphold ATC's decision was given by bench comprising, Justices Asif Saeed Khosa, Mansoor Ali Shah and Manzoor Ahmed Malik.

ATC awards death sentence to Zainab’s killer

Similarly, Lahore High Court also dismissed on March 20 Ali’s appeal against his conviction in the case. The bench comprising Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan and Justice Shehram Sarwar upheld the ATC's verdict.

On February 17, in its verdict ATC awarded four counts of death sentence to Ali and slapped him with a fine, one life-term and a seven-year jail term.

Zainab, a seven-year-old girl who went missing from her aunt's house, was found in a garbage pile brutally raped, murdered. This chilling tragedy sparked nationwide protests and grief.