Lahore/Multan, October 21,2026: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Wednesday expressed concern over the alleged murder of 15-year-old Waseem Abbas in Multan and the subsequent death of a suspect in an alleged police encounter, calling for an independent and transparent investigation into both incidents.
The case has also raised concerns over the alleged exploitation of children, with the Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan (BLLF) demanding an investigation into the teenager’s death and strict action against unregistered orphanages allegedly sending children to work at brick kilns and workshops.
According to the HRCP, Abbas was reportedly chased and run over by his employer following a dispute over work in a private housing society in Multan on October 19.
The suspect, Tauqeer Nazir, was arrested and remanded into police custody for four days by a judicial magistrate the following day. Police later said Nazir had escaped custody and was killed by his accomplices when a police party attempted to re-arrest him.
The HRCP said the suspect’s subsequent death had raised serious questions about the state’s responsibility to protect human life and uphold legal safeguards.
The commission stressed that extrajudicial killings violate the right to due process, depriving victims and their families of the opportunity to establish the truth and seek justice.
It warned that treating such killings as an acceptable way to control crime risked prioritising vengeance without accountability over the rule of law.
The HRCP called for an independent and transparent investigation and urged authorities to put an end to extrajudicial killings in all forms.
BLLF seeks action against unregistered orphanages
Separately, the Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan demanded a thorough investigation into Abbas’s death and action against orphanages allegedly involved in child exploitation.
In a press release, the organisation’s president, Syeda Ghulam Fatima Gilani, said Abbas had been living at an orphanage in Multan and was sent to work at a workshop, where he died after being run over by a vehicle.
The organisation described the incident as a killing rather than an accident and called for legal action against those responsible.
The BLLF alleged that more than 52 unregistered orphanages across Punjab were sending children to brick kilns and workshops for labour. It also accused the relevant labour officer in Multan and an official of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) of negligence, demanding action against them.
The organisation called for strict action against both unregistered orphanages and registered institutions found to be exploiting children. It also proposed monthly surprise inspections of all orphanages and the creation of an online record of children living in these facilities.
The BLLF urged the Lahore High Court to take notice of the incident.
“Wasim should have been in school, not at a workshop,” Gilani said, warning that the organisation would approach the High Court if no action was taken within seven days.
The first information report (FIR), registered on Monday, named Nazir and Amjad Ali as suspects and invoked Sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, relating to murder and acts committed by several persons in furtherance of their common intention.
The FIR alleged that the two men pursued Abbas in a car and deliberately ran him over, causing fatal head injuries.
According to the report, Sub-Inspector Liaquat Ali Bhatti was patrolling with 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, Abbas, had been working as an electrician for the suspects, who had allegedly subjected him to violence and threatened to kill him.
The FIR stated that Abbas fled to a neighbouring street to escape the alleged abuse, but the suspects pursued him in a vehicle. Police said they saw the teenager running in fear, followed by a Honda bearing registration number BVE-474.
The report alleged that the suspects deliberately ran the vehicle over Abbas. His head struck a pillar at the gate of house 3-A, crushing his skull and causing fatal injuries. He 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 the suspects wanted to kill him and that he was running to save his life.
The FIR further stated that the vehicle stopped after the incident and the suspects attempted to flee. Nazir was apprehended at the scene, while Ali escaped. Police seized the vehicle as evidence.
Mukhtiar also told police that Abbas wanted to leave his job because of the alleged violence and feared for his safety. The FIR claimed that the suspects pursued him over his decision to leave and acted together to kill him.
The allegations in the FIR and the claims concerning the subsequent police encounter have yet to be independently established. The calls for an investigation come amid broader concerns over accountability, child protection and the enforcement of safeguards against child labour.
