Police in Bahawalpur have confirmed that the main accused in the shocking murder of an orphaned teenager in Multan was shot dead during an alleged encounter early on Wednesday. The suspect, named Tauqeer Nazir, had managed to escape from police custody while he was on a four day physical remand ordered by a judicial magistrate in Multan.
According to CCD District Officer Irfan Akbar, a police team tried to stop two men riding a motorcycle near the Northern Bypass in Bahawalpur. The riders opened fire on the officers and tried to flee. In the exchange of fire that followed, Tauqeer was killed. Officials claim he was hit by bullets fired by his own accomplice, who managed to escape the scene.
Tauqeer was the prime suspect in the brutal killing of Waseem Abbas, a teenage boy who had been living at an NGO run orphanage. About a week before his death, the orphanage had sent Waseem to work with Tauqeer so he could learn electrical work. The boy allegedly faced mistreatment and wanted to leave the job. Police say Tauqeer chased him in a car after he fled and deliberately ran him over inside Multan’s Royal Orchard housing society.
CCTV footage clearly shows the teenager running before the vehicle strikes him. Authorities have stated there is no evidence that Waseem was involved in any theft. Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari earlier confirmed that Tauqeer and his associate Amjad chased the boy for nearly one kilometre before the fatal incident. A murder case was registered under Sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Amjad remains on the run. Police have not yet explained how Tauqeer escaped custody or how he reached Bahawalpur while still on remand. Several orphanage staff members were also detained for questioning. Waseem, who belonged to Muzaffargarh district, was buried in his ancestral village of Daultpur.
The case has drawn widespread public attention and raised serious questions about police custody procedures and the safety of vulnerable children in care institutions.
