LAHORE: A man accused of chasing and running over a 15-year-old boy in Multan was killed in an encounter with the Crime Control Department (CCD) in Bahawalpur on Wednesday, police said.
The suspect, Tauqeer Nazir, had allegedly pursued Waseem Abbas in his car following a workplace dispute and run him over in a private housing society in Multan on Monday. He was arrested and presented before a judicial magistrate on Tuesday, who granted police four days of physical remand.
According to the CCD, Tauqeer escaped from police custody on Tuesday night.
Suspect Killed in Reported Exchange of Fire
The CCD said its personnel attempted to stop two men riding a motorcycle near Bahawalpur’s Northern Bypass on Wednesday morning. Instead of stopping, the men allegedly opened fire on the police team, triggering an exchange of gunfire.
Tauqeer was killed during the incident, according to the department. His alleged accomplice escaped while firing at the police, prompting special teams to launch a search operation.
The circumstances surrounding Tauqeer’s reported escape from custody and the subsequent encounter were not detailed in the initial statement.
FIR Alleges Deliberate Killing of Teenager
The first information report (FIR), registered on Monday, names Tauqeer Nazir and Amjad Ali as suspects and invokes Sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, concerning murder and acts committed by multiple people in furtherance of a common intention.
According to the FIR, Sub-Inspector Liaquat Ali Bhatti was patrolling with other police personnel in Royal Orchard when a man identified as Mukhtiar Ahmed approached them at around 4:35pm.
Mukhtiar reportedly told police that his cousin, Waseem Abbas, had been working as an electrician for the suspects and had allegedly faced violence and threats to his life.
The report stated that Abbas fled to a neighbouring street to escape the alleged abuse. The two suspects allegedly pursued him in a Honda vehicle bearing registration number BVE-474.
Police said they saw Abbas running in fear as the vehicle followed him. The FIR alleged that the suspects deliberately ran him over, causing his head to strike a pillar at the entrance of house 3-A. He suffered severe head injuries and died at the scene.
Two residents, Saqlain Raza and Syed Naseem Abbas, were named as witnesses. According to the FIR, they told police that Abbas had passed by shortly before the incident, saying that the suspects wanted to kill him and that he was running to save his life.
The report further stated that the vehicle stopped after the collision and the suspects attempted to flee. Tauqeer was apprehended at the scene, while Amjad allegedly escaped. Police seized the vehicle as evidence.
These allegations had not been established through a final judicial determination.
Orphanage Had Sent Waseem to Learn Electrical Work
Waseem had been living at an orphanage for five years and wanted to learn electrical work, according to Shoaib Haider, the institution’s general secretary.
Haider said the orphanage had sent the teenager to contractor Tauqeer approximately six days before the incident after making inquiries about him. The contractor reportedly had a team of around 40 to 45 boys.
According to Haider, Tauqeer had claimed that he followed Waseem in his car after the boy became tired while running away on foot. The suspect reportedly maintained that his car had slipped, but Haider said video footage did not appear to support that explanation.
“It looks as though he was hit with the car,” Haider said, adding that the investigation would have to establish why the teenager had fled from the contractor.
Haider said the orphanage had received no previous complaints against Tauqeer. Another boy from the institution had also been working for the contractor, but the orphanage brought him back after Waseem’s death.
Waseem’s cousin Nadeem, who had been living at the orphanage for six years, said the teenager had often expressed reluctance to go to the electrician and wanted to return home. Nadeem said he did not know Tauqeer personally and had not seen Waseem return to the orphanage after he left to learn the trade.
Multan: 15-Year-Old Orphan Allegedly Killed by Employer After Fleeing Workplace
Family Demands Justice for Waseem
Waseem’s uncle, Jafar Hussain, told the media that the boy’s father had died nine years earlier. His maternal grandfather initially supported him, after which Hussain looked after him for two to three years. The teenager was later admitted to the orphanage by his grandfather and uncle.
“Tauqeer deliberately killed my nephew. I know what condition Abbas was in and how I saw him,” Hussain said, demanding justice.
Waseem’s maternal grandfather said he had sent the boy to the orphanage because he wanted him to receive an education rather than struggle on the streets. He also called for those responsible to be punished.
The teenager’s funeral prayers were held at around 2am in Mouza Daulatpur, after which he was buried in his ancestral graveyard. Close relatives and orphanage officials attended the funeral.
Residents said Waseem and his brother had been admitted to the orphanage after their mother remarried following their father’s death.
The incident took place within the jurisdiction of the DHA Police Station. Rescue officials said Waseem suffered a severe head injury and died at the scene. His body was shifted to Nishtar Hospital under police supervision before being transported to his native Muzaffargarh district for burial.
Child Protection Bureau Rejects Orphanage Registration
Separately, the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) refused to register the Multan-based orphanage over its failure to ensure the safety and supervision of a child placed with a contractor for work, its chairperson Sarah Ahmad said.
In a statement on X, Sarah urged Punjab police to take legal action against the orphanage’s owner and hold those responsible accountable for the teenager’s death.
She said the bureau had established minimum care standards for orphanages housing children across Punjab and stressed that institutions could not be allowed to neglect their responsibility to protect children.
Sarah also called on the Punjab Charities Commission to review the orphanage’s registration and licence and cancel them if warranted under the law. She further urged the authorities to initiate action against those found responsible.
“Every child deserves protection, dignity and safety. No orphan should be left at the mercy of those entrusted with their care,” she said.
The case has raised questions about the protection and supervision of children living in institutional care, particularly when they are placed with outside employers or contractors to learn vocational skills.
