MULTAN: More details have emerged about the death of 15-year-old Waseem Abbas, an orphan who was killed after being struck by a speeding car in a private housing society, as his family members recounted his background and demanded justice.
Waseem’s cousin, Nadeem, and maternal grandfather spoke to the media about the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s life and death.
Nadeem said Waseem had been living in an orphanage for the past six years. He described the teenager as naughty, saying that Waseem often expressed reluctance to continue learning electrical work, insisting that he wanted to return home instead.
According to the family, Waseem had not returned home since he began working as an apprentice electrician. The family members said they did not know Touqeer Nazir, the suspect accused of chasing the teenager, and had never met him.
Waseem’s maternal grandfather said he had personally admitted the boy to the orphanage, hoping that he would receive an education and have a better future rather than face hardship on the streets.
He said that after Waseem’s father died, the boy’s mother was married to his paternal uncle. Following the marriage, Waseem and his brother were placed in an orphanage, according to the grandfather and local residents.
The grandfather demanded that the person responsible for Waseem’s death be punished.
15-year-old electrician deliberately run over by contractor in Multan
Meanwhile, police have arrested Touqeer Nazir, a contractor accused of chasing the teenager in a vehicle. The vehicle involved in the incident has also been taken into custody, and a murder case has been registered against the suspect on the complaint of the police.
According to police, Waseem had been learning electrical work from Touqeer. In his initial statement, the suspect claimed that the teenager would leave work without permission and that he had attempted to stop him.
The suspect reportedly said he followed Waseem in his car because he wanted to catch him. Police said the teenager was allegedly chased on foot before the suspect pursued him in a vehicle, accompanied by another man identified as Amjad Ali.
During the pursuit, the speeding car struck Waseem, causing him to hit the gate of a house. He died at the scene, according to police.
Orphanage administrator Jawad Haider confirmed that Waseem was an orphan who had been living at the facility. He said the teenager had been handed over to Touqeer to learn electrical work.
Waseem, a resident of Muzaffargarh, was 15 years old.