Contractor says his car skidded and child fell into its path in Multan

MULTAN — Contractor Touqeer Nazir, the man accused of causing the death of 15‑year‑old orphan Waseem Abbas, told investigators that his vehicle slipped while he was trying to stop the teenager from running away from work, leading to the fatal collision inside a private housing society.

According to Touqeer, Waseem had repeatedly left the work site without permission. He said he first chased the boy on foot but could not catch him, so he returned with his car. He claimed he saw Waseem near a street corner, accelerated, and intended to position the vehicle ahead of the teen to block his escape. Instead, he alleged, the car skidded, failed to stop, and the boy slipped, becoming trapped between the vehicle and a house gate.

Eyewitnesses disputed that version, insisting the incident was not accidental and that the car was driven deliberately into the teenager. Shoaib Haider, general secretary of the orphanage where Waseem lived, told reporters that the boy had been at the facility for five years and was learning electrical work. Haider said Waseem had worked for Touqeer for only six days before the tragedy.

Haider questioned the contractor’s claim of a skid, noting that video footage did not appear to support it. He suggested the footage looked more like a deliberate strike and said investigators would need to determine why Waseem left the work site. Haider also mentioned that another boy who had been working with Touqeer was later brought back, but he gave no further details.

Waseem’s paternal uncle, Jafar Hussain, accused Touqeer of murdering his nephew and demanded justice. Hussain explained that Waseem’s father had died nine years earlier and that the boy had been placed in the orphanage by his maternal grandfather and paternal uncle.

Waseem’s funeral prayers were held late at night in his native village of Mouza Daulatpur in Muzaffargarh, and he was buried in the family graveyard. Local reports said the funeral was arranged quickly because of the condition of the body. Close relatives and orphanage officials attended.

Police have taken Touqeer into custody. The investigation continues as authorities work to determine whether the teenager’s death was an accident or a deliberate act.