A man accused of deliberately running over and killing a 15-year-old apprentice in Multan was killed in an alleged encounter with the Crime Control Department (CCD) in Bahawalpur on Wednesday, police said.
The suspect, Tauqeer Nazir, had been arrested following the death of Waseem Abbas, a teenage orphan who was allegedly chased and struck by a car in a private housing society in Multan on Monday.
According to a statement issued by the CCD, Tauqeer escaped from police custody on Tuesday night, hours after a judicial magistrate had granted investigators four days of physical remand.
Police claimed that CCD personnel attempted to intercept two men travelling on a motorcycle near Bahawalpur’s Northern Bypass on Wednesday morning.
The men allegedly opened fire instead of stopping, prompting police to return fire.
According to the CCD, Tauqeer was killed during the exchange, while his alleged accomplice escaped while continuing to fire at officers.
Special police teams have reportedly been deployed to locate the fleeing individual.
The circumstances surrounding Tauqeer’s reported escape from custody and subsequent death have not been independently verified.
Waseem Abbas had been living in an orphanage for five years and hoped to learn electrical work to support himself.
According to Shoaib Haider, the orphanage’s general secretary, Waseem had been sent to work under contractor Tauqeer Nazir only six days before his death.
Police alleged that a dispute over work led Tauqeer to chase the teenager in his vehicle and deliberately run him over inside a private housing society in Multan.
Rescue officials reported that Waseem sustained a severe head injury and died at the scene.
His body was transferred to Nishtar Hospital under police supervision before being taken to his native district of Muzaffargarh for burial.
Following his arrest, Tauqeer was presented before Judicial Magistrate Saadia Aslam on Tuesday, who granted police four days of physical remand for further investigation.
During the court proceedings, a group of lawyers reportedly assaulted the suspect outside the courtroom despite the presence of police personnel.
Less than a day later, authorities announced that Tauqeer had escaped custody and subsequently died in the alleged encounter in Bahawalpur.
The development has brought an abrupt end to the criminal proceedings against the principal accused, while questions remain about the circumstances of his escape and death.