MULTAN: Police have registered cases under the child labour law against Touqeer Nazir, the main accused in the death of 15-year-old orphan Waseem Abbas, and Shoaib, the owner of the orphanage where the child had been living.
According to police, the cases were registered on the complaint of the Labour Department over alleged violations of child labour laws.
An FIR against Touqeer Nazir was registered at DHA Police Station, while a separate case against orphanage owner Shoaib was registered at BZU Police Station.
Police said Waseem had been living at the orphanage before being handed over to Nazir to learn electrical work. The teenager was subjected to forced labour while working under the contractor.
The orphanage owner, Shoaib, was already in police custody in connection with the investigation, sources said.
Meanwhile, Touqeer Nazir was killed in an alleged encounter with Punjab’s Crime Control Department (CCD) in Bahawalpur on Wednesday, police said.
CCD officials said police attempted to stop two motorcyclists near the Northern Bypass in Bahawalpur. However, the suspects allegedly opened fire while trying to flee.
The CCD said one man was killed in the exchange of fire and was later identified as Nazir. Police have not provided further details about the encounter.
Waseem was killed a day earlier after being struck by a speeding car allegedly driven by Nazir in a private housing society in Multan. CCTV footage of the incident also surfaced.
Police had arrested Nazir in connection with the teenager’s death and seized the vehicle involved in the incident. A murder case was registered against him following the incident.
On Tuesday, a court remanded Nazir in police custody for four days for further investigation. However, he was killed before the completion of the remand period.
Waseem Abbas case: Main accused Touqeer Nazir killed in CCD encounter
In his initial statement, Nazir claimed that the teenager would leave work without permission and that he had tried to stop him.
Police said Nazir chased Waseem, initially on foot and later in a car, accompanied by another man identified as Amjad Ali.
During the pursuit, the speeding vehicle struck Waseem, causing him to collide with the gate of a house. The teenager died at the scene, police said.
Nazir had claimed that he was trying to stop Waseem when his car skidded and struck the teenager. He said he had spotted Waseem near a street corner and accelerated to position his vehicle ahead of him to block his way.
According to the suspect’s account, the car failed to stop after skidding, while Waseem slipped and became trapped between the vehicle and the house’s gate.