Says extrajudicial killings violate the right to due process of law, an opportunity to establish the truth
A screengrab from a video shows the car allegedly chasing 15-year-old Waseem Abbas before he was run over in Multan.
LAHORE:
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 the accused in an alleged police encounter, calling for an independent and transparent investigation into the case.
The suspect, Tauqeer Nazir, had allegedly chased Abbas in his car after a dispute over work and run him over in a private housing society in Multan on October 19. He was arrested and handed over to police on a four-day physical remand by a judicial magistrate the following day. Later today, police said the suspect fled custody and was then killed by his accomplices when a police party tried to re-arrest him.
According to the HRCP, Abbas was reportedly chased and run over by his employer. The subsequent death of the accused in an alleged police encounter has raised serious questions about the state’s approach to protecting human life and upholding legal safeguards.
The commission said extrajudicial killings violate the right to due process and deprive victims and their families of the opportunity to establish the truth and seek justice.
It added that the perception that such killings are an acceptable means of controlling crime suggests that vengeance without accountability is being prioritised over justice.
The HRCP called for an independent and transparent investigation into the case and urged the authorities to bring an end to extrajudicial killings in all forms.
Bonded Labour Liberation Front seeks probe into orphanages
Separately, the Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan demanded an investigation into Abbas’s death and action against unregistered orphanages allegedly involved in the exploitation of children.
Read: Man accused of running over Multan teenager killed in CCD encounter
According to a press release issued by the organisation’s president, Syeda Ghulam Fatima Gilani, Abbas was living at an orphanage in Multan and had been sent to work at a workshop, where he died after being run over by a vehicle. The organisation termed the incident a killing rather than an accident and called for legal action against those responsible.
The organisation 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 and demanded action against them.
The organisation called for strict action against unregistered orphanages and registered institutions involved in child exploitation, monthly surprise inspections of all orphanages, and the creation of an online record of children residing in these facilities.
It also 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 case
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 done by several persons in furtherance of their common intention. It alleged that the two men pursued Abbas in a car and deliberately ran him over, causing fatal head injuries.
According to the FIR, Sub-Inspector Liaquat Ali Bhatti was on patrol with police personnel in Royal Orchard when a man identified as Mukhtiar Ahmed approached them at around 4:35pm. Mukhtiar told police that his cousin, Abbas, had been working as an electrician for the suspects and that they had allegedly subjected him to violence and threatened to kill him. The report stated that Abbas had fled to a neighbouring street to escape the alleged abuse, while the two suspects pursued him in a vehicle. Police said they saw Abbas running in fear, followed by a Honda vehicle bearing registration number BVE-474.
The FIR alleged that the suspects ran the vehicle over Abbas with the intention of killing him. His head struck a pillar at the gate of house 3-A, crushing his skull and causing severe injuries. He died at the scene.
Two residents, Saqlain Raza and Syed Naseem Abbas, were named as witnesses in the FIR. According to the report, they told police that Abbas had passed by shortly before the incident, saying that 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 took the vehicle into custody as evidence.
Mukhtiar told police that Abbas wanted to leave the job because of the alleged violence and feared for his safety. The FIR alleged that the suspects pursued him over his decision to leave and acted in concert to kill him.
