A 15-year-old orphan, Waseem Abbas, died in a private housing society in Multan after a speeding car hit him during a chase, police said. Police have arrested the contractor they accuse of pursuing the teenager, taken the vehicle into custody and registered a case. Further investigation is underway.
The head of the Khudi orphan centre, Shoaib Hyder, said the boy’s guardian was consulted before he was handed over to the contractor. Hyder said Waseem’s paternal uncle, the legal guardian, asked that the boy be trained to earn a living, so he was placed with Tauqeer Nazir to learn electrician work.
Guardian’s request and the centre’s oversight
Hyder said the centre had received no earlier complaints about Tauqeer Nazir. He added that Waseem had been sent to work with him only seven to eight days before the incident. Waseem had been admitted to the institution in 2021 along with his brother and cousin.
Also read: Multan: 15-year-old electrician dies after contractor chases him
The centre currently cares for 150 orphans. Orphanage administrator Jawad Haider said Waseem had been handed over to Tauqeer Nazir to learn electrical work.
Khudi centre’s registration status
It was revealed that the centre is not registered with the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Punjab. Hyder said the organisation had already applied for registration and expected approval soon. He added that the centre is currently registered with the Punjab Charity Commission.
Police account of the chase
In his initial statement to police, Tauqeer Nazir said Waseem had been learning electrical work from him. He claimed the boy would leave work without permission and that he had tried to catch him. The suspect said he drove behind Waseem because he wanted to stop him.
Police said the boy had left the job and was chased by the contractor, who allegedly pursued him on foot before following in a car with another man, Amjad Ali. During the chase, the speeding car struck Waseem. He hit the gate of a house and died at the scene, police said.
