A case against the orphanage administrator was registered by police in Multan on Wednesday, with the allegation that an orphaned teenager was sent to work without the required authorisation. The development follows the death of 15-year-old Waseem Abbas, who was allegedly chased and run over by a car in Multan’s Royal Orchard housing society, according to The News and Geo.
Details of the Case Against the Orphanage Administrator
Police said the case was registered on the complaint of a Labour Department assistant director, who named Shoaib, a member of the governing body of the non-governmental organisation that runs the orphanage. The case concerns the transfer of an orphaned child for employment without permission, The News reported. Police had earlier said that Waseem lived at an NGO-run orphanage and was sent to work with Tauqeer Nazir about a week before his death, to learn electrical work.
A separate case was registered against Nazir under the Child Labour Act, alleging that he had employed an underage child. Dialogue Pakistan reported that the first-mentioned case was lodged at the BZU police station, while the case against Nazir was registered at the DHA police station. The allegations are those of the complainant and the police, and the reports reviewed do not say whether anyone has been arrested in the orphanage case.
The Death of Waseem Abbas
According to police, Waseem reportedly wanted to leave the job because of alleged mistreatment. The Punjab information minister, Azma Bokhari, said earlier that the suspects chased the teenager for about one kilometre before running him over, as reported by Geo. A murder case was registered under Sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Waseem’s uncle, Jafar Hussain, accused the suspect of deliberately killing his nephew and demanded strict punishment, Aaj News reported. Police have said their initial investigation found no evidence that the boy had been involved in theft or any other wrongdoing.
The Suspect’s Death in an Alleged Encounter
Police arrested Tauqeer Nazir, who was remanded into police custody by a judicial magistrate for questioning. On Wednesday, he was killed in what police described as an encounter with the Crime Control Department (CCD) near Bahawalpur. CCD District Officer Irfan Akbar said a police team tried to stop two men on a motorcycle near the Northern Bypass, that the men opened fire as they tried to flee, and that Nazir was killed in the exchange of fire.
The circumstances of the suspect’s death have prompted questions. Lawyers and journalists cited by Dawn raised concerns about extrajudicial killings and due process, and the CCD’s account of his escape from custody has not been independently verified. The killing also means that the main accused will not face a trial, which places more weight on the remaining investigation, including the role of others involved.
The Orphanage’s Account and the Regulator’s Decision
An orphanage official, Shoaib Haider, told reporters that Waseem had lived at the facility for five years and wanted to learn electrical work, Aaj News reported. He added that the orphanage recalled another child who had been training under Nazir as a precaution. Minute Mirror reported that the orphanage said it had made inquiries before placing the boy with the contractor.
Separately, the Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau declined to register the orphanage, which Dialogue Pakistan named as Idara Khudi. The bureau said the decision did not establish criminal liability or determine whether any individual was responsible for the teenager’s death.
Questions the Investigation Must Answer
The inquiry will have to establish what checks were made before the boy was placed with a contractor, whether the placement required approval that was not obtained, and what the Labour Department’s complaint rests on. The case against the orphanage administrator also raises a wider question about the supervision of children in residential care and who is accountable when they are sent into employment. Police have said the investigation continues, and the courts have yet to examine the allegations against the administrator.
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